


In Her Arms

by Artzenin



Category: Halo, Life Is Strange, Life Is Strange: Before The Storm, Mirror's Edge Catalyst, overwatch
Genre: Action, CIA, Crime, Death, Drama, Drug Use, F/M, Friendship, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Mutagen, Mystery, Soulmatehood, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-11
Updated: 2019-02-02
Packaged: 2019-02-13 21:26:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 118,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12992856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Artzenin/pseuds/Artzenin
Summary: Chloe has a secret life as a CIA agent with an agenda to complete. When Rachel Amber, her boss, demands that she goes undercover at Blackwell to keep Golden Hour safe and far away anyone and everyone who is trying to capture her, Chloe struggles to conceal the killer inside of her and learning to live again in the comforting arms of Golden Hour as their friendship grows.





	1. Episode 1: Golden Hour

**Disclaimer:** All rights reserved to the original owners and business partners, [DONTNOD ENTERTAINMENT](http://dont-nod.com/en/) and [SQUARE-ENIX](https://square-enix-games.com/en_US). AW acknowledges _[Life Is Strange](http://dont-nod.com/en/projects/) _ is not our work we have no legal rights over the story or the original characters. The only thing that we legally own is the plot idea and any OC we create. Also, for those who don't read the **[Profile](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raging_Raion/profile)** , the characters of the fan fictions are  _straight_. They have a pure affection for each other yes but it doesn't develop into anything misleading or sexual. If you, the reader, can not make that distinction you are more than welcome to post a public question or send AW an e-mail and we will address the question or have author Artzenin address the question herself. Pure affection isn't wrong, it isn't sinful, it's not a trend. It is not popular depending on where you live in the world and people tend to associate any form of contact between members of the same and opposite sex with sinful behavior the moment they see it. This company counters that with the non-sexual soulmate themes from start to finish. If this offends anyone of any race or sexual orientation you do not have to read this story or our other fan works. However, if the reader chooses to stay and enjoys the non-sexual soulmate themes we use for fan fictions, then we highly recommend checking out our anime graphic novel series,  _Search For The Griffin._ This series will be released at Lulu this fall.

 

**—Staff**

  

 

* * *

  **Time:** 3:00 AM

 **Location:**  New York, Woodside - CIA HQ (1st Floor)

* * *

 

The door softly hissed open, and Chloe walked into the small interrogation room with a dark expression on her face. She was wearing skin tight black jeans, a combat black tank top with a utility belt strapped across her chest. The combat tank top had a silver crest symbol on the front of it and on the back, in CAPS letters it said, “CIA”. Her black leather knee high boots had studs running up the sides and leather fingerless gloves had studs around the knuckles. All of her attire were custom crafted for her, at her request. The tailor always created the best quality clothes, both work related and casual.

“I’m getting really tired of this.” Chloe muttered, drawing closer to the moody criminal she had the pleasure of interviewing. In the middle of the room, was a chair. In that chair, was a foreign man from France that was iron bared to the chair. His face was angry, his eyes were angry, everything about him was vicious and unapproachable. Chloe didn’t care. She just needed to get some intel from him, so she could continue about with her mission. “You know, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way Vlad.”

Vlad raised his head, started to breathe rapidly, like a savage and gashed his teeth at Chloe's approaching from. “I will _never_ tell you why my boss desires Golden Hour. Even though you caught me, others will come, and they will find her before your people do and take her. You will not have Golden Hour, not if my company has anything to say about it.”

What Vlad didn't know was that Chloe's people already knew the current home location of Golden Hour, but she wasn't about to tell him that. Narrowing her eyes, Chloe stopped directly in front of Vlad, doubled over just enough to get eye level with him and then she brutally backhanded Vlad across his face. Chloe struck him so hard, blood flew from his mouth and Vlad sharply shook his head once, trying to clear the dizziness.

“I’m going to ask you one last time Vlad.” Chloe reached out and grabbed Vlad by the scruff of his blood-stained t-shirt, and tugged his chest forward, forcing his head closer to hers. Now they were nose-to-nose and he could see the fire in her eyes.

“Why. Does. Sean Prescott want _Golden Hour?!_ ”

Vlad arched an eyebrow, glanced down at the tiled marble stone floor and jutted out his lower chin as a response to the question.

Chloe recoiled back, as if burnt by his reaction. _Is he… **pouting?**_

Just as Chloe was about to attempt to get Vlad to talk again, her pager went off. She straightened her posture and cursed softly under her breath. “What is it now?”

Rolling her eyes, Chloe snatched the pager up off her belt around her waist, muttering under her breath. Raising an eyebrow, Chloe glanced down at the digital message. It read: _Emergency._

Chloe scowled, ignored it and went back to trying to get Vlad to leak the information she needed but then the pager went off a second time. Annoyed, Chloe grabbed it again and looked at the message. This time it said: _Come now!_

Chloe frowned, and snapped her eyes over to Vlad. “I have to take this. So, you wait there, and I’ll be back to get that little detail out of you." Chloe turned on her heel and retired from the interrogation room. As she stepped out into the hallway, she was greeted by Warren Graham, the company’s chemist and biopsy specialist. He smiled and gradually started walk in line beside Chloe. She was angry. It was obvious. The most he wanted to do, was see what her plans were going to be once she got off work. Knowing Chloe, it would be cozening up with a 30 pack and watching TV in her quarters at the base. Warren worked in the Science and Technology department at the CIA. He oversaw research, created and managed technical collections of disciplines and lab equipment. Chloe was a field agent, and working on becoming the organization's best. She was young but her determination to better herself and her fierce dedication to sharpen her combat skills made some of the older agents blush with jealousy.

“Hey Agent Price. What’s shaking?”

“Shut up Graham. Don’t talk to me.”

Warren laughed, and stuffed his hands in his lab coat pockets, not surprised Chloe was giving him the cold shoulder. “Someone’s moody today.”

Without looking at him, and keeping her face forward, Chloe pressed down the hall with much on her mind, and Warren wasn't part of that vision. "Yeah. You would be too when you go a whole month with hardly any sleep, and pulling mission after mission, and have to stop the opposing teams from stealing the client's target. Now if you'll excuse me…" Chloe trailed off, and punched the button that opened the doors to the elevator. She got in, faced Warren, and crossed her arms. "I have to go answer our fearless leader, and see what she wants from me."

Warren waved, and Chloe decided he was just too happy for her. "Good luck. Knowing how the CEO is, you're going to need it."

Chloe shrugged and waited for the doors to shut. She was grateful for it too. Talking to her co-workers was always a pain, especially nosy types like Warren and Brooke. “This better be worth it. Paging me in the middle of an interrogation. She knew I was going to talk to Vlad today.” Chloe waited for the elevator to arrive to the top floor. When it finally dinged, she stepped out, and proceeded down the small narrow hallway that would lead her to the CEO’s office. Chloe didn’t bother to knock or announce her presence. With the given history she and the CEO had, both women felt comfortable enough to act unprofessional around each other, whether or not the occasion was formal or informal. “You rang?” Chloe muttered, opening the door then slamming it shut.

The sudden noise made the CEO cringe in her seat behind the desk. Since upgrading the facility, all the doors had been replaced with automatic slide doors, except the CEO’s. Chloe actually didn’t mind this, as it was one of the few things she could grab with her hand and express her frustration at the CEO. As usual, the CEO pretended like Chloe hadn’t just stormed into her office and slammed the door. She chose to tip her head in greeting instead. "Chloe would it _kill you_ to smile?”

Chloe frowned harder. “Would it _kill you_ to let me do my job in peace? Rachel, I don’t have _time_ for this. Our client is getting restless and wants to recover Golden Hour before Sean Prescott gets the upper hand.”

Rachel tilted her head to the side, slanting her green, seductive eyes at Chloe, unconcerned about the urgency of the current mission. At the moment, she had new mission for Chloe to accept and the sooner Chloe could shift focus, the easier it would be on her. “We’ve worked with Mr. Jefferson before. When is he ever calm and not freaking out over something?”

Chloe shrugged a shoulder, arched an eyebrow and shook her head in disagreement. She saw Rachel’s point but at the same time, she didn't understand Rachel's logic. “True. However, we were paid in advance to recover this girl. He wants her pretty bad. For what purpose, it is unknown, but it shouldn’t matter. We were asked to retrieve her from Seattle, remove her from her home and transport her to Arcadia Bay's exchange point at the lighthouse without delay. Preferably, _before_ Sean Prescott figures out where Golden Hour is.”

Rachel crossed her legs under the table and pressed her fist into her cheek. Her smirk, to the way she inclined her head to the right told Chloe unspoken words that she wasn’t willing to receive. “About that.” Rachel slowly drawled out the words, leaning forward and resting her chin on top of folded hands. "I understand your commitment to wanting to drill Vlad for info on Sean Prescott and I admit, getting dirt on that imbecile would make our jobs a whole lot easier. I mean, the CIA has only been trying to bust his hide since your dad's reign. But you know, there’s more to this mission than meets the eye, Chloe.”

“Oh?” Chloe retorted in a flat one, arching an eyebrow. “How so?”

Rachel grinned and moved her head to the side, studying Chloe’s caution with great interest. “I _bet_ you’re wondering what it is I called you in here for, huh?”

Chloe nodded briefly. “The thought occurred. Yes. And don’t avoid the topic. What did you mean by there's more to the mission? What have I underestimated, because I’m pretty sure it’s as easy as showing up, getting Golden Hour and handing her over to Mr. Jefferson.” Chloe’s default angry face was priceless.

No matter how much Rachel smiled or tried to lighten Chloe's mood, Chloe was ever so consistent in maintaining a professional, serious expression at all times. Even on her days off. But then again, Rachel understood why Chloe’s emotions were thick and almost impossible to break. Her father died saving her from an assassination attempt made on her life when she was 14 years old. Chloe watched that horrible scene from start to finish. She also had the displeasure of seeing the killer blow his brains out and feel the assassin's warm blood spray across her face and chest. Her mother, Joyce Price, was not present when this tragedy happened. She was knocked out on her bedroom floor, bleeding from the wound the assassin made in the side of her torso.

Chloe fell to her knees and cradled her father's head in her arms. Rachel will never forget how her father, DA and close friend of William Price, got the call from Chloe that night. She was crying and a complete wreck. James, Rachel's father, drove them over to their house. James only took Rachel to provide emotional support for Chloe. Upon arrival and entering the house, James rushed over to Chloe and took William's head out of her arms, carefully set it down off to the side and wrapped his arms around her trembling frame. He ordered Rachel to call the police and 911. The assassin was already dead but Joyce had time. If it wasn't for Chloe calling their house, Rachel was convinced Chloe wouldn't be among the living. She knew her best friend and knew that Chloe had a split personality disorder and was taking medication for it. Seeing her dad save her life, then get his head cut off, plus the blood of her killer spray against her? Yeah, Rachel wasn’t stupid. Chloe would have snapped. It was the grace of God they made it to her when they did and ever since then, Chloe had moved in with Rachel and lived with the Ambers. James knew about William’s secret.

CIA life and domestic life are hard to manage. But William went about it well and no one suspected a thing. Only James knew about it but after William died, James informed Joyce of everything to give her peace of mind over what had happened to her husband. Joyce was angry and shocked to learn that William was a certified hitman, sniper, martial artist, etc. The works. William knew how to fight and use weapons and the one 9mm he had, he entrusted to James, instructed him to give it Chloe as a memento if and when she discovered the truth. James did tell Chloe these hidden things, but only after she turned 15 and started asking questions that made Joyce uncomfortable. Joyce called James and kindly asked him to tell Chloe the truth and he did. Ever since then, Chloe choose to go into the same line of work. She was young but her IQ scored so high for the CIA placement test, the organization was blown away by her intelligence.

Rachel, not about to allow her best friend go into that world alone, took the same placement test, scored twice as high and the organization asked James to train Rachel to be a CEO over a district in New York. James reluctantly agreed. Joyce was way more hesitant to let Chloe go off and become a shadow of her father but Chloe felt she needed to do it and had no desire to be a “normal” girl. Her right to be a normal girl died the night William got his head cut off. Joyce understood but insisted to stay informed of her activity or she wouldn't sign the papers to allow the CIA to take Chloe into their care. The CIA respected William. He was their best agent in the country. If his widow wanted to keep tabs on Chloe’s secret life, it was the least they could do. As an extra precaution, they issued men to guard her household and keep a steady eye on Joyce and James, all because their kids were geniuses and they wanted to make sure they had a home to return to on their days off. Rachel was honored to be Chloe's soulmate and companion. But the best part of being a CEO in the CIA? She was Chloe's superior and took great pleasure in seeing Chloe answer to her and having to abide by her orders. Whether she liked it or not.

“What would you say, to making a little side money for yourself? Don't worry, it doesn't involve you cutting corners but rather, getting up close and personal with the current mission you have already.”

Chloe slowly narrowed her eyes, already suspicious and against the idea Rachel had brewing in that pretty head of hers. "I would say, you're royally screwed if you think I'm gonna go for it.”

Rachel went on, ignoring Chloe’s resistance. “Instead of showing up and taking Golden Hour from her family on their turf and traumatizing her with the news of telling her why she's being targeted by the Prescotts, why don't we wait for her to transfer to Blackwell this coming fall? You could go undercover as a student, move into the dorms and-”

“Ohhh no.” Chloe shook her head firmly, refusing to go along with Rachel's scheme. "I'm _not_ going under cover at Blackwell Academy. You couldn't pay me enough money to in this lifetime or the next one to come. Find someone else. I’m sure Warren would love to return to his actual hometown, and embrace the opportunity to be a kid again. Not that he isn't a kid. Warren, Brooke, you, me. We’re the CIA's-” Chloe made quotes with her finger. “Special kids with secret lives that we keep hidden from the public.”

Rachel grinned and instantly, Chloe felt her stomach knot up. She knew that look Rachel was giving her and she also knew, with enough persistent, Rachel would win and get her way. Rachel was always competitive like that. "I didn't call Warren Graham into my office, now did I? I summoned you.”

Chloe stiffened, blinked and gave Rachel a pointed look. “Rachel, this is bad idea.”

Rachel sat back in the chair and lazily ran a hand through her long hair. “Really?” She asked, casting Chloe an amused flickering of her eyes. “I think it's a _great_ idea. One that I think you’re more than qualified for.”

Chloe took a step back and raised her hands, spreading her fingers frantically, and gestured at Rachel to stop. “Yes. Really. It’s a bad idea. Find someone else. I’m not high school material. I mean, look at me." Chloe pointed at herself. "I'm a killer. Not a cuddly valley girl who has sleepovers, and giggles at hot guys in magazines, and junk. I’m-”

“Becoming a senseless machine, and an insensitive jerk.” Rachel crossed her arms, and raised an eyebrow, daring Chloe to defy her.

Like usual, Chloe returned to at-attention pose, and looked straight ahead, for she was being scolded by her superior, and had to submit, which is exactly why Chloe hated being called into Rachel’s office because no matter what she tried to say in her defense, Rachel overruled her with authority as the CEO.

“Chloe, do you know how many of our co-workers call me during work hours, and when I’m off, and complain about how you treat them? Your mother included…”

At that, Chloe used her eyes to give Rachel daggers, allowing herself to become informal for the moment. “Leave my mother out of this! Say what you want about me, and the complaints of the company, but _never_ use my mother as a way to get me to do what you want! I won’t tolerate it Amber!” She barked roughly, and Rachel cringed at the abrasive tone.

Shifting in her seat, Rachel cleared her throat and tried another approach. “I didn’t mean any ill harm when I said it, Chloe. But your outburst just now proves why you need to take this side mission, and change your tactic in retrieving Golden Hour. You never smile. Like. Ever. You just-”

“Oh yeah?” Chloe cut in, scoffing lightly. “I smiled when we were kids and innocent. Why is everyone getting so bent out of shape because I’m not smiling? I do, just not when anyone is looking. And sometimes, when we're alone I smile for you, so there.”

Rachel frowned, blinked casually and gave Chloe that one. However, Chloe was still lacking in the emotional department, that much Rachel sure of. “You cut people without meaning to with your words, you're harsh to everything that breathes, even those you interrogate. Vlad has a fracture, and three broken ribs. And a concussion, Chloe.”

“He deserved that and so much more.” Chloe growled, forgetting that she was supposed to be at attention and silent while Rachel spoke.

“Chloe the point is, you’re in a dark hole and if you're going to function healthily with other humans, you need to get out of it." Rachel's eyes slanted playfully and the way her lips curled up in a smirk made Chloe's stomach twist in knots. She wasn't in the mood to go along with Rachel but sadly, she didn't have a choice. "That is why, this side mission I want you to take on, is going to be issued as a mandatory company vacation. I know you'll never take one and work yourself right into your grave. If you're comfortable doing that, fine. But I'm not. Your mother isn't either but that is the personal reasons I want you to go undercover and try to enjoy yourself. I have… professional reason for this request too."

Now Chloe was interested. Returning to her at attention stance, Chloe looked right into Rachel's eyes, silently urging her to explain herself. Rachel took a deep breath, stood up and went over to stand in front of the window. She gazed out of the window, between the open blinds and found a cute couple walking their baby together in carriage below to occupy herself with. She watched them cross the street and enter a building and her eyes gradually narrowed until they were out of sight.

"I know we have a good history with Mr. Jefferson. He's been the CIA's most loyal inside source for information for years. But I have reason to suspect he's into some weird crap that isn't CIA approved."

Chloe pressed her lips firmly together, feeling her frustration at Rachel starting to dissolve. "Is that so?"

Rachel turned around, facing Chloe. Her features saddened and Chloe noted the change instantly. "You know how we've been getting reports about those missing girls that randomly up and disappeared from their homes last year in San Francisco?"

Chloe nodded just enough to where her head moved. "Yes."

Rachel walked away from the window and went over to Chloe. Standing in front of her, Rachel reached out and stroked Chloe's hair behind her ear and kept her hand on Chloe's face, knowing the subtle gesture would set the right mood. It worked. Chloe's eyes fluttered shut and the soft sigh that escaped her lips brought a small smile to Rachel's face. "Heh. I still got it, huh?"

Keeping her eyes still closed, Chloe found herself leaning into Rachel's touch, willingly. “Mmm… maybe.” Chloe's eyes opened half way, and she held Rachel's stare. "You believe there is a connection between the missing girls, and Mr. Jefferson… don't you?"

Rachel’s face dropped and that was more than enough proof for Chloe. If Rachel truly believed that and was entertaining the thought, Chloe knew Rachel had good reasons to suspect that of anyone. In the CIA or not, Rachel had a six sense about those sorts of things. Chloe trusted Rachel and her judgment. If Mark was making her nervous, then she needed to be nervous too.

“Have you mentioned this to the Chief?”

“No.” She replied softly, deciding to caress Chloe’s cheek with her knuckles. “I want this to remain on the DL until I gather more evidence.”

Chloe broke character and stepped into Rachel. Her hands came up to rest on the sides of Rachel's neck and Rachel instantly caught her breath, not expecting the contact. "You don't want Golden Hour in his hands, do you?"

“No.” Rachel gently shook her head and gazed up at Chloe in fear and alarm. "I really don't. Please Chloe? Won't you go undercover? Just this once?" Rachel reached out and gently pushed her hand against Chloe's shoulder. "For me?"

Chloe’s eyes softened at the sight of Rachel’s desperation. Tilting her head to the side, Chloe pressed her lips to Rachel's temple and sighed in bliss. She smirked against the skin feeling Rachel relax at the contact. The tingly sensation of pleasure ran up her spine and back down. Being so close to Rachel like that, in the privacy of the office was nice. Having Rachel to herself period, was nice. "C'mere you." Chloe muttered, wrapping her arms around Rachel. Rachel giggled and allowed Chloe to walk them backwards. Rachel hit the edge of the desk but didn't stay there long. Chloe grinned, unwrapped one arm from around Rachel and then using the side of that same arm, she carefully moved the contents on the desk off to the side so nothing would get damaged.

"We're going to cuddle and play now? But we're on the clock."

Chloe nodded gently in agreement. "Yes we are." Chloe's features softened hearing Rachel's laughter fill the room. “And when has that ever stopped us? Come on, it'll be like when we were kids...  unless, you've gotten too big for cuddles and playtime?"

Rachel grabbed Chloe’s face, and brought their foreheads together. "Never Price. Do your worst."

With the grin still plastered on her face, Chloe lifted Rachel up, and gently placed her on the top of the desk. Chloe nuzzled her way into the crook of Rachel's neck and Rachel brought her arms up and caved them protectively around her friend. Rachel closed her eyes and smiled feeling Chloe kiss her on the forehead. Turning her head, Rachel quietly admitted into Chloe's ear. "You make me so happy Chloe... you really do. I'm so blessed to have you as a soulmate, my best friend. It's humbling."

"Same goes for you Amber." Chloe muttered, shifting her head so she could peck Rachel dotingly on the cheek. Rachel lifted one of her hands and rested it on the back of Chloe's head and started gently massage around the neckline and up her scalp. They took turns nuzzling each other and every so often they mumbled words of gratitude, affection and encouragement, in hope to lift their spirits. Even though they were surrounded by co-workers and had family members who loved them deeply, their bond was deeper. Not better, just more in tune and both girls were comfortable enough as friends, to lower their shields and expose their vulnerability and display their pure affection without shame.

"Please come back to me?"

Chloe wasn't sure where the fear she heard in Rachel's voice was coming from, but Chloe ignored it and gave Rachel a big, reassuring hug. "I always do."

Rachel's fingers raked through Chloe's short mane of blonde hair and Chloe enjoyed the feeling of having her hair played with. "You better. I can't just replace you Price. You're one of a kind."

Chloe nodded then let out a contented sigh that brought a warm smile to Rachel's face.

"I love how you're this big bad agent but when you're alone with me, melt when I give you affection like this." Chloe dipped her head and groaned, completely helpless at Rachel's touch. Rachel lowered her head and kissed on Chloe the forehead, then rested her chin on top of Chloe's head. "You're going to have to change your look so you can fit into Blackwell's setting. You know that right?"

Chloe leaned out from under Rachel's chin and gave her a unimpressed look. Scoffing lightly, Chloe asked a stupid question. "And what did you have in mind for me to go undercover as, Amber?"

Rachel grinned wide and her eyes flashed mischievously. "Well…"

 

* * *

  ** _45 minutes later..._**

* * *

 

In the dressing room section of the base, Chloe stood in front of the mirror and shook her head at the reflection she saw. Crossing her arms, she shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot then glared hatefully over her shoulder at the tailor who stood beside Rachel. "I look like a drug dealer…"

Rachel and the tailor threw their heads back laughed. Chloe didn't join them, she was genuinely offended at the outfit she was going to have wear. Outfits, that she needed to form her style around. Glancing back at herself, Chloe stared at her reflection and her eyes traveled over every inch of her body. She had a fake, but very realistic tattoo of a red ribbon, trialing around a skull with a blue butterfly flying in the background on her arm. Her white tank top had a skull on it with a exploding symbol behind it, her jeans were torn and patched with black loops belts hanging down on either side, her boots were not like her CIA combat boots. They were country based with silver tips that came up a little past her ankles. The black leather jacket she wore was thick but light enough she could move around in it without feeling weighed down. Her short chopped hair, would eventually have to be dyed blue. Rachel didn't want Chloe to dye it until she got settled in Arcadia Bay and made a devious reputation for herself. The reason for this was simple. Come on campus looking like a rebel, dye one's hair to declare she was a rebel. Rachel needed Chloe to establish this theme about her staged life so people wouldn't think lightly of her. Chloe understood that, that's why she was okay with going along with it. The blue beanie was a nice touch. Chloe didn't mind the hat but she wasn't sure about how she felt about packing a concealed 9mm in her pants. As if sensing this, Rachel tapped the tailor on the shoulder to dismiss him. Nodding, he gathered up his suitcase, blueprints and quietly exited the room, leaving the two alone to talk. Turning to Chloe, Rachel risked giving her some more attention. She embraced Chloe from behind and pressed her cheek into Chloe's back and softly confirmed what Chloe was thinking.

"You're going to do fine. This right here…" Rachel trailed off and playfully swatted Chloe on the hip where the weapon was hidden. Chloe didn't twitch or break her stiff position but she did look away from her reflection and over her shoulder at the shorter girl using her backside as a pillow. "Is for protection purposes. Use that weapon in self-defense situations to keep the target safe and yourself, of course. Although I don't think you'll have to resort to using it. But if you do, there’s a silencer on it, the type you like. Oh and if caught and your cover is blown, do the usual. Flash the credentials and explain the situation to Principal Wells and whoever else is in authority over there and get out with Golden Hour."

Chloe slowly raised an eyebrow and slanted her head curiously to the side. "So that's the backup plan? If the mission blows up in my face-"

"You will do whatever it takes to secure Golden Hour until I am satisfied about our ever so faithful source, Mr. Jefferson. I must have peace about that man first, Chloe before we can hand her over to him." Rachel smoothly interjected, cutting her off. Chloe frowned and started to look away, but Rachel reached over with her other hand, cupped Chloe's chin and forced her to look back down at her. "Sean Prescott wants Golden Hour for his reasons too and while you're looking into Mr. Jefferson, I'll get another agent to keep digging up dirt on Sean Prescott in the meantime and keep you updated. All right?" Chloe's nod was all the confirmation Rachel needed. Relieved that Chloe was going to accept the side mission along with her main mission, Rachel eased up on her tiptoes and kissed Chloe lovingly on the forehead. She let her lips linger briefly then slowly eased away and took a step away from Chloe's chilling frame. Chloe gave Rachel a once over, nodded briefly then returned her attention to the mirror so she could give herself one last examination before heading out.  Rachel stayed with her until Chloe was content with herself then watched her turn on her heal and leave without a word. Rachel glanced down, squinted her eyes and wondered for brief second, if sending Chloe on a vacation was going to a disaster. As quickly as the thought came, Rachel shook her head and started for her office, refusing to give up on Chloe so quickly. The danger of keeping a low profile and Golden Hour safe aside, what’s the worst that could happen? It was just high school. How hard was it going to be to blend in with kids their age and pretend to act normal? Rachel stepped into the elevator and patiently waited for it to take her up to her floor in a grim silence. Lifting her head, Rachel tipped her head back against the smooth wall behind her, sighed noisy and stared up at ceiling of the elevator as if to beg for patience.

_She'll be okay. She has until the fall before she has to be active. Surely by fall, Chloe can make some friends and live a calm, decent lifestyle?_

Rachel bit her lower lip and started to chew on it worriedly.

_Dear God, what have I just done? Chloe may be ready for Blackwell, but I don't know if Blackwell is ready for Chloe…_

 

* * *

 **Time:** 5:00 PM

 **Location:** Oregon, Arcadia Bay

* * *

 

Exactly three months later, Chloe was standing outside of Blackwell Academy under a pine tree near the stairs, waiting for Golden Hour's parents to pull up in their van and drop of their daughter. She silently observed the scene at a distance and kept her eyes on Golden Hour the entire time. Chloe's back was pressed against the tree, her hands were stuffed in her pockets and she had a bored look on her face. Chloe didn't want to stand around forever, but she had been training this whole time at the school for this one moment. She went through all the phases Rachel faxed to her. Bad boys, dying her hair blue, smarting off to the faculty and staff, pretending to be interested in hobbies like skating just to look the part of a normal teenager. Chloe had a terrible relationship with the Blackwell Security, specifically, with David Madsen. Skip Matthews she could get along with, but David was a constant headache and to think, it was all because Rachel needed her to be a delinquent. Chloe was so good at being a problem on campus, she won the attention of Vortex Club. Victoria Chase found her repulsive, but Hayden Jones liked Chloe's wild streak, so he always went out of his way to formally invite Chloe to their wild parties. Chloe engaged in illegal activities at the Vortex Club parties, like smoking pot and drinking excessively with strangers knowing it would help her fit in and get accepted by the local community on campus. All of these extremes were done in the name of being able to meet Golden Hour and appear like a casual student. Out of everything Chloe had to do, abusing the alcohol hurt her pride the most. She did love to drink and due to her high position at the CIA, she got her way and that was the only reason she could drink underage, but she never drank to get drunk. Here, at Blackwell, they thrived on pushing limits and Chloe knew if she didn’t dance to their tune, her cover would be in danger of being blown and that was something she just couldn't risk.

"Are you sure you’re going to be okay living here by yourself?"

Chloe looked at the taller man with short hair and a grizzly beard. Chloe knew from her files the man she was observing helping pull out his daughter's suitcase from the trunk was Golden Hour's father, Ryan Caulfield. And the woman standing beside him with a worried expression on face was Golden Hour's mother, Vanessa Caulfield. Annoyed at them both, Golden Hour lifted her hands and gestured at her parents to calm down.

“Geeze. How many times do I have to tell you guys? _Yes._ This is something I've wanted ever since we moved away. This is my hometown and the school I want to attend for my photography.”

Vanessa hesitated with her reply. “You could’ve gone to another school. In Seattle. They had plenty of selections.”

Golden Hour rolled her eyes, crossed her arms, and gave mother a knowing look. “Mom, we’ve been over this. You need to let me go, and allow me to make my own adult decisions. I’m not a little kid anymore.”

Vanessa sighed, and rubbed at her neck apologetically. “I know, I know. And you’re right. I just don't like that you’re here, by yourself without any family or friend support."

Golden Hour turned around, and went over to get another suitcase out of the passenger side of the van. “That’s why friendships exist mother. So, I can build one and find a friend. Now are you and dad going to help me get my stuff moved in or what?”

Vanessa nodded and went to get Golden Hour's guitar case out of the trunk. "Of course, dear. Lead the way and we'll follow."

Chloe continued to watch the scene but never went out of her way to greet the small family or offer to help Golden Hour with her belongings. When they past the tree, Golden Hour and Chloe eyes locked for a moment. The spark that couldn't be seen was clearly felt from within both girls, and they glanced away from each other at the same time, and their shocked expressions formed almost instantly.

_What. Was. That?_

Chloe, and Golden Hour had the same thought, and their eyes widened in disbelief over the minor encounter. When they dared to look back at each other, they quickly forced themselves to look away in fear of getting caught in a stare.

“Dude. What was that?” Chloe muttered, cupping her forehead to hide a blush she didn't expect to form. Her hand slid from her forehead, past the bridge of her nose, and down to rest over her gaping mouth. The blush was not from excitement, but from happiness. This revelation about herself deeply disturbed Chloe. She had met, and seen plenty of students in her time preparing for Golden Hour’s arrival to campus. She made a note to sit down, and talk with so many people, and not one of them made her happy or remotely glad to be alive. But that look of curiosity from Golden Hour just now, shook Chloe.

She was experiencing a rise of rare emotion and she wasn’t sure how to feel about it. Taking a deep breath, Chloe raised her gaze and searched the grounds until they fell on Golden Hour, and her family. They were currently headed towards the dorms. Fluffing her collar, Chloe eased off the tree, and started in that direction, but made sure to hold herself back so it didn't appear as if she was stalking them. When Golden Hour's parents had successfully moved her into the dorm, said their goodbyes and left the building, Chloe made her move. No one was in the building except for a few of the girls and all of them were either studying or sleeping. Chloe's room happened to be directly across from Golden Hour's.

Chloe raised her fist and started to knock on the door but stopped mid-way as another interesting emotion bubbled up inside of her. _Is this…_ Chloe squinted one eye and raised an eyebrow, recognizing the feeling. _Nervousness?_ Disgusted at herself, Chloe lowered her fist, and glanced pointedly off in the opposite direction. _Is that what this is? But, why would I be nervous to meet my assignment? I've seen her profile pictures plenty of times, I know everything I need to know about her intellectually. I even know what time she wakes up to use the bathroom at night, to how the grease in the bacon she loves more than anything, gives her horrible heartburn, and acid indigestion. I’ve gone over her files so much, I feel like I’ve known Golden Hour for years so why do I feel like this? I wish Rachel was here, so I could ask her to make sense of it._ Chloe’s thoughts were interrupted by the soft click of the door opening up and hearing a startled gasp.

“You. You’re that girl I saw earlier. Do you go here or are you just visiting?”

“I attend this school, I live here, right across from you actually.” Chloe kindly replied, looking back around at Golden Hour. “I thought I would welcome you to Blackwell, and introduce myself. The name’s Price. Chloe Price.” Chloe pretended to make a gun with her fingers and tease Golden Hour. She shot her and was cheesy enough to voice the sound effect. “Bang!”

Golden Hour flinched because the gun motion spooked her, and she didn’t like guns. Chloe knew this, but wanted to keep true to her fake persona. Agent Price would never resort to such insensitive tactics. Rebel punk rocker who had become the school's bad girl in the short time she had moved in? Absolutely.

“Nice to meet you hippie. You got a name to that pretty face of yours or what?”

Chloe squared her shoulders, and forced a charming smile. Extending out her hand, she offered to shake Golden Hour’s hand and was pleased when Golden Hour cautiously reached out and placed her delicate hand in Chloe’s.

“Yes. My name is Maxine Caulfield. But please, call me Max?”

This time when Chloe grinned, it wasn’t sham. It was real and stretched as she continued to hold onto Max’s hand. Chloe wasn’t sure why she let her shields fall for her assignment so easily but there she was, towering over Max with a curious gleam in her eyes. Maybe it was the high of finally being able to meet Golden Hour face-to-face? Or maybe, it was the fact that Chloe wanted to understand why a mere girl like Max was able to get such a reaction out of her prior to seeing each other for the first time?

“Max huh?” Chloe stepped a little closer to Max and to both teens shock, Max didn't find it rude or intrusive. In fact, she offered Chloe a sweet smile and tilted her head to the side as her eyes slanted half way in invitation. “I think we’re going to get along just fine Max. Welcome to Blackwell Academy. Want some help unpacking?”

Max smiled. “As a matter of fact, yes I do. I'd love that.” Max let go of Chloe’s hand and gently gestured at the open space behind her. “Make yourself at home.”

Chloe followed Max into her room, unable to take her eyes off her. Feeling her stare, Max sat down on the bed, and glanced over at Chloe, and looked at her, questionably.

“Oh trust me. I will make myself right at home. We're neighbors, and I think you're hella interesting, Max. So expect to see more of me as the school year goes by.”

Max blushed, charmed by Chloe’s honesty. She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and smiled. Chloe returned it and this time, she didn’t try to dismiss it. She let it happen, and found herself engaging in semi-decent pleasant talk as the two carefully unpacked all of Max’s belongings and gradually built up to decorating her dorm room.


	2. Episode 2: Run!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When it comes to the military usage of weapons stated in this fanfiction, please know Artzenin did her homework. She knew what they are, and their usages. The rocket launchers mentioned towards the end are also portable. As in, someone can put the object on their shoulder, aim, and fire. It is not just for a tank, or aircraft. Everything Artzenin mentions in this story that has a verified title, and operated by various military branches, she has researched. To those who feel the need to correct her, understand she will not listen to correction over information she already knows.

**Time:**  2:00 AM

 **Location:**  Oregon, Portland - Horse Brass Pub

* * *

 

Chloe needed a break. She knew it was against campus policy to leave the dorm house after 10:00 PM but she didn't care. She needed to get away from the loud and obnoxious preps of Blackwell Academy and David. He was always onto Chloe for something. But Chloe was convinced Victoria was worse than David because unlike David who had been trained for combat and hardened by his experience in the military, something Chloe could relate with because of her lifestyle in the CIA, Victoria was choosing to be a problem. Victoria had it out for Chloe, in so many ways it wasn't even funny. Her little groupie of snobs didn't phase Chloe but they still managed to drive her up the wall on a daily basis when they made it their mission to harass her. It took every ounce of her CIA training to hold herself back and keep a level head. Schoolwork wasn't hard for Chloe but she wasn't used to having to do it either. Three months into the fall semester, one would think Chloe would be catching on and making it a priority to turn her work in on time. Not really. Chloe was a genius and finishing school assignments was a cake walk. However, she tended to withhold her homework, knowing it was needed to create her "rebellious" attitude. Unwanted people and her school life aside, Chloe had other reasons to sneak out and catch a bus to Portland for Thanksgiving weekend.

Max Caulfield.

Max had been mentioning wanting to visit Portland before Christmas break. Since Chloe and Max were forming an odd friendship, Chloe thought it would be nice to have some alone time with her assignment, without the distractions of Blackwell coming between them. So, she, being the rebel that she was, knocked on Max's door, waited for Max to open it then straight out told her she wanted to bail Blackwell that night and start her Thanksgiving weekend before school was dismissed. Max hesitated of course because Max was a good student and followed the campus rules. Not about to settle for Max's rejection, Chloe face palmed, bowed her head and lamely admitted that she also wanted someone to come with her to keep her company on the drive to Portland. It was a lie and it wasn't a lie. Chloe did want Max to join her, but that was strictly so she could continue to keep a steady eye on her. Watch it be her luck that she leaves campus for two days, comes back and finds Max stolen. Or worse... dead. It was untelling what Sean Prescott would do to his desired target. The bad reputation Sean had, was noted for his brutality when he gave up on chasing something.

People died, homes were destroyed, virgins were captured and traded on the black market. Sean was notorious for leaving his mark in society when he couldn't get what he wanted. Chloe was convinced Sean would do something stupid and unnecessary to the citizens of Arcadia Bay if he got bored of trying to locate Golden Hour. At this point in the game, Chloe suspected Sean might be onto Max's whereabouts. Which was all the more reason, Chloe invited Max to come on the road trip with her.

Max reluctantly agreed to go with Chloe. She did fear what Principal Wells might do if and when he learned about their little escape into the night but on the other hand, if he remained clueless, Max wanted to embrace the opportunity of relaxing with Chloe. Their friendship was still a working process but Max was confident that they were going to become good friends by the end of the first semester. Chloe was just so... mysterious to Max. She couldn't help but be nosy and try to pry into the older teen's mind. Max would find herself stopping what she was doing so she could look over at Chloe in class or across the table in the lunch hall.

It didn't matter where she was at or who she was with. If Chloe entered the room, walked past her in the hallway, accidently bumped into Max when she wasn't looking where she going, they always found a way to stare into each other's eyes and communicate through the silence, every time. It never failed. Max was starting to wonder if it was fate, their destiny to keep catching the other off guard. Against better judgement, Max sneaked off campus with Chloe early Friday morning. She had a rusty, tan, junker truck that she said she "borrowed" from the junkyard and would give it back when she was done with it. Max didn't question Chloe about the car but on the way to Portland she attempted to get to know the moody rebel, hoping she might find out something interesting.

At the most, noteworthy of her journal.

All Max got was a few nods, some mumbled, rushed answers to basic questions and an eerie silence that lingered between the whole ride to the hotel they were going to be staying at. Max was disappointed but respected Chloe's choice to remain distant. Little did Max know, her prying got under Chloe's skin. That's why she walked across the street, into a bar and was sitting by herself and taking shots. Chloe was just as surprised as Max would be, if Max had any idea what she had started for Chloe. Annoyed at herself, Chloe started pour herself another shot when she heard someone walk through the door and go over to the bar. Chloe's instincts instantly perked up and she snapped her eyes up to see who the new patron was Chloe came to Portland to relax but it was obvious that she couldn't let her guard down, not even for a second.

Even though Rachel hadn't send her a update on the Prescotts and their activity, Chloe was convinced they had discovered where Golden Hour was and were planning their moves… carefully. Feeling Chloe's penetrating stare burning a hole through his back, the young man slowly turned her eyes and caught her staring at him. Chloe didn't look away. She didn't believe in, "It's rude to stare." She was a CIA agent with snark, sass and a care-free personality. The way she saw it, if she was bold enough to look, the one she was gazing at should be bold enough to come over and address her.

"What can I get for you sir?"

"Fireball. Cinnamon flavor." The man replied, still keeping his eyes on Chloe.

Chloe smirked slightly and he noticed it instantly. She was taunting him, baiting him into making a move. The young man Chloe was assessing, wasn't much older than her. He was pale skinned, had a head full of golden russet hair that was slicked back, one ear piercing and stunning emerald eyes. He looked normal in his generic T-shirt and blue jeans with leather black boots but Chloe was getting another vibe from him. One that spoke of secrets and conspiracy.

_Maybe I am being too suspicious of everyone. I need to relax. That's why I'm here. But then again, going undercover as a highschool student, was supposed to be me relaxing too._

Chloe sighed in her mind and her face dropped a little, feeling the building depression sink in. She glanced down and stopped her analysis of the young man, deciding to let it go. If he was trouble, she'd simply deal with him. If he was just passing through, then it was all the more reason to stop staring. Allowing her shoulders to slump, Chloe sighed and took another shot of her Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum. She tapped her fingers across the table, annoyed with herself. Blurry, blue eyes peeked over at the lone bottle of rum and as she stared at it, Chloe wondered how her life had taken such a turn for... for what?

Chloe couldn't say she was miserable with the mission. Despite her hesitation in the beginning, Chloe was actually adjusting to living like a normal teenager, whose sole purpose was to not care and cause trouble for everyone. Granted it took her a few weeks to get comfortable with the role. Playing a deviant of society and training her mindset to behave recklessly was a unique challenge. But with enough practice, Chloe lived up to the bad girl reputation Rachel wanted her to have.

_Can I really do this? God Rachel why did you chose me for this? I haven't exactly made the best progress with Max. I may have fulfilled the quota of being a bad girl but even then, I sometimes wonder if they're buying my hipster bullcrap. Or if they're just going along with it and pitying me and thinking I'm acting out for attention? Dang it Rachel... this position is worse than demotion. It's degrading and I really don't feel like I'm on a vacation. Highschool life is... rough. I think I might have underestimated it._

"May I sit with you?"

Chloe blinked then slowly raised her head to see who it was that asked her the question. It was the young man she was scooping out from earlier. Chloe wanted to jump the gun and start an interrogation subtly to test his motives, right then and there but she reframed and kept a calm, polite smile on her face. "Sorry. I'm more of lone wolf when it comes to my drinking."

The young man pointed at her bottle of rum. "You say you're a lone wolf, but you're drinking in a public bar that has people all around? Not to mention, you're under age. I guess if you don't want to be found out, hide in corner, right?"

Chloe shrugged a shoulder and kept her fingers firmly around the shot glass and her other hand flat on the table near the rum bottle. "Yeah, I guess I am underage and FYI, I like corners. They're cramped and big enough for only one person."

The young man grinned. "Didn't even try to deny it, I see. So, if I may? Did you or did you not use a fake I.D. and lied about your age? Why do that when you could have asked someone of age to purchase the content and bring it you? I'm not trying to criticize you miss, but wouldn't that be more ideal for someone of your position?"

Chloe blinked, narrowed her eyes and slowly raised an eyebrow. The young man's remark could be taken two ways and Chloe didn't like either option. He basically, gave himself away and revealed he was a spy of sorts. If her gut instinct was wrong then that meant, he was just being helpful and offering her advice. More than running into another agent that worked for someone, Chloe detested men. It wasn't because she didn't have attraction for them but as a person, the male species angered Chloe. She considered herself a borderline feminist mixed with a pinch of Amazon. After seeing what a man did to her father, the only male Chloe ever loved, respected and cared about, it painted a rough picture for her. Her male co-workers she had to accept. The males at Blackwell she tolerated to the best of her ability. But this guy talking to her? Despite his regal face, charismatic charm and well-built frame, Chloe was turned off and the quicker he evacuated the area, the sooner she could return to her solitude. "Says the guy who literally just pulled the same move on the bartender?"

The young man glanced over his shoulder at the jolly bartender then looked back at Chloe. He had a glass in his hand and the bottle of what he ordered in the other. Without Chloe's permission, he helped himself to a chair and sat down across from her. Chloe scoffed softly and just stared at him in disbelief.

_Did this punk just… yeah, yeah he did. Who does he think he is? He must want to get decked pretty hard._

The young man smiled at Chloe, acting like he had done nothing wrong and had every right to sit with her at the table. "So what name did your I.D. say?"

Chloe squinted and arched her neck back in anger and it showed on her face. Seeing it, the young man laughed as he began to pour himself a shot. 

"Relax. I'm not referring to your real name. I mean, what was the name you used on your fake I.D. card for the bartender?"

Chloe allowed her stiff muscles to relax, but only a little. She didn't like him. He was too straightforward and too curious about her in general, for Chloe to think he wasn't a spy sent from neighboring competitors for the Golden Hour. It wasn't just the Prescott's or Mr. Jefferson who wanted Max, there were several groups hunting her. The Prescott's were just louder at advertising their desire to find her whereas other groups, kept their passion discreet and tactful. "Captain Bluebeard."

The man paused mid-way in pouring his shot and glanced up at Chloe, torn between grinning and fighting back laughter.

"Is that... funny to you?" Chloe asked in low, angered voice. The young man resumed pouring his shot. When the shot glass was full, he drank it down in one gulp then looked at her with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

"Wow. That's cool that you used a code name like that. It's not funny, it's ironic."

"Ironic?"

The young man nodded and gradually began to pour himself a second glass. "Yes. I used a code name too."

"Oh yeah?" Chloe drawled, pushing her shot glass and rum bottle off to the side. Her night was ruined. There was a mysterious man at the table and she was on edge. And it was his fault. Frowning, Chloe leaned back in her seat and rested one arm behind the chair. She appeared like she was stretching out and getting comfortable but it wasn't so. She did that, to establish territory and authority. The way the young man hesitated in drinking his second shot, told Chloe everything she needed to know about him.

"What was your code name?"

"It's Sorrowful Poet."

Chloe's cerulean gaze settled on him, hard and piercing and the young man shifted uncomfortably in his chair, disliking the dangerous smirk on her face. "How well can you dance, Sorrowful Poet?"

The young man almost couldn't believe it but at the same time, this was the famous Agent Price he was dealing with. The reports he read about her were impressive, dark and made him envious in every way. Smart, talented, ruthless in combat, a kill count of 200 men alone, not counting the women or assassination missions. Looking at Chloe as she was now, posing as a senior high school student, it was hard for the young man to take her seriously. She didn't come across like a cold killer he had heard his company boast about. It was the opposite. Chloe merely looked like your basic, average girl with a bad attitude.

Her smooth, gloved hands were the eye opener for the young man. He glanced at Chloe's hands and his features hardened as he thought about how many lives those hands had taken or saved. Chloe curling her fingers in and making tight, balled fists snapped the young man back to his senses. Looking up at her, he took, scooted his bottle and shot glass off to the side. His cover wasn't blown entirely, so the young man didn't feel he had to worry just yet. Chloe didn't know what company branch he worked for and didn't know his real name. As if sensing this, the young man's hopes died when Chloe's smirk turned into a devilish grin and he watched as she straightened in the chair and lean across the table. 

"Elliott Hampden. Age? 17. Eye color? Green. Hair color? Light brown. Height? 5'8. Affiliation? Undecided. Currently works for a client as a P.I. on the side to cover up that you're actually a non-government association known as "The Syndicate". A radical group of illegal Batman wanna-be vigilantes that specialize in looking into strange, abnormal events in the world who's co-founder recently died of food poisoning." Chloe tilted her head to the side and grinned side ways. She took pleasure out of seeing Elliot's reaction and far more pleasure in putting the dots together and recognizing him from her archive training. "Daniel DaCoasta was it? Sorry for your groups loss. But that's what happens when you have kids sticking their nose into adult things. If your organization wanted to compete with the big boys, you should have at least recruited a veteran adult to give you guys some guidance and maybe, some lethal training."

Elliot felt his eyes widen, and his mouth drop. Content that she had stated the information correctly, Chloe stood up and slammed one first down in the middle of the table. The vibration from the impact, shook Elliot more than he was willing to admit but his eyes betrayed him.

There was fear, Chloe saw it and now, she was angry and Elliot instantly feared for his life. "What the does The Syndicate want with the CIA? We've done nothing to your organization, we've left you nerds to live out your fantasy in peace so why are you here, Mr. Hampden?"

Elliot swallowed the nervous lump in his throat and found himself stuttering under her icy glare. "W-We got some black market information concerning the Golden Hour…" He feebly began, glancing down and rubbing at his arm. Chloe's eyes slotted in anger. There it was again. Golden Hour. She fought the urge to roll her eyes and sigh her frustration out loud. Chloe just couldn't figure out why everyone and their kid brother were chasing down Max. From what Chloe's resources could tell her, Max was just a high school student that aspired to become a world-renown photographer. Her goal was to graduate and attend a college that would further her interests and helping her complete her dream. That's it.

There was literally nothing more going on for Max so the fact that these groups were seeking Max out, not only concerned Chloe. But it also made her question who Max really was. Scowling, Chloe reached down and grabbed Elliot from the scruff of his shirt. She didn't give him time to reconsider his answer or remotely the option to run away. She had him in his grasp and was currently pulling him towards herself when she heard someone else come through the door.

"Hey Elliot. Need some backup?"

Chloe let Elliot go, and he stumbled away from her. He left his drink and the bottle on the table and quickly went over to join the other young man who came through the door. Chloe looked the newcomer over from head to toe. He wore the same outfit as Elliot but had a much meaner vibe about him. As in, he wouldn't hesitate to protect one of his own. Chloe rolled her eyes and rested one hand on her hip. Leveling her gaze with the second young man, she shrugged, as if to say she was waiting for the action to happen. The bartender pretended like he wasn't there and did his best to overlook the exchange. It was to his advantage, he did have a lot of patrons in the room but if Chloe and her "friends" went in the direction his gut was telling him, he would evacuate and instruct his customers to follow him through the back room.

"No Luke. I'm fine. And Golden Hour clearly isn't here so why don't we just-"

"There any more of you punks waiting around? Because if not, I say, we do this now and get it over with." Chloe asked, cutting Eliot off. She frowned at them both, crossed her arms and tipped her head at them to ignite a silent challenge. Elliot gulped and said nothing but Luke narrowed his dark eyes and couldn't decide if he should give into the offer or walk away and count the day as a loss.

"We know she's here with you. You might as well just hand her over, Agent Price. Unlike the Prescott's, we won't hurt Golden Hour. In fact, we're here-" Luke moved his hand between himself and Elliot. "Because we want to protect her. We know about her... condition, something we highly doubt your company is aware of." Luke spoke softly so no one in the bar would hear him and expected Chloe to do the same. Thankfully, Chloe caught on and was considerate of Luke's gesture.

"Condition?" Chloe questioned, narrowing her eyes in motion with Luke.

"Yes. She is not a normal girl and requires more... shall we say..." Luke trailed off and took a moment to select the right words. Giving out information to their arch rivals, was strictly against the rules but at the same time, Luke thought it was sad the CIA had no idea, the true potential of Golden Hour and why she was such a valued target. Pressing his lips together, Luke carefully revealed a answer, without giving his organization's position away. "Special training and observance from those who can provide her the best resources until she can control herself without the aid of someone else."

Chloe tilted her head to the side, arched an eyebrow and let out a tiny laugh. "Riiiiight. And some group of super geeks is the answer to Golden Hour's problems? Sure, it is. Sorry, but she's under the witness protection of the CIA until further notice. That and we have someone else who has requested that she be delivered into their custody. Now, if you'll excuse me..." Chloe stepped in, invading Luke's personal space. He frowned and took a slight step back, not enjoying the close proximity at all.

"I have to continue my mission and I would like to do it, without you breathing down my neck because if you do not abort and return from the lowly rock you crawled out from under, I will personally take you down. And no, I don't care if this place gets messed up. The CIA is more than willing to cover any damage costs when it comes to protecting a target, so long as I can prove I had a reason to do it and you two are more than enough of a reason for me to let loose."

Luke narrowed his eyes at the same with Chloe did and scoffed. They didn't like each other. It was obvious. Elliot stayed quiet and observed his superior and Chloe standoff. He was intimidated by Chloe and found her presence a bit dazzling. He wasn't about to admit that to Luke but Chloe sensed Elliot's fear and fed off of it secretly. Glancing at his co-worker, Luke jerked his head to the side, indicating that he wanted Elliot to pull out. Nodding, Elliot happily left the bar and returned to the van parked outside. With his friend safe, Luke turned to Chloe and his featured hardened. Chloe smirked, amused that Luke was trying to put on some kind of bravado for his friend. She pitied Luke if he thought he could go head to head with her and walk away unscratched.

"Get away from me and go after your side kick." Chloe growled, her anger rushing back, like a flipped switch. Luke chuckled, glad to finally be alone with Chloe. She was hardcore all right, he'd give her that, but he was going to walk away with the last laugh. He took another step back, sneering at her.

"Just out of curiosity, have you had your way with her yet? Because you're clearly acting like this because you want her to yourself." Luke saw her blue eyes widen and he smiled.

"Oh? I'm sorry. I just assumed you were sleeping with your target because of the way you dress and the desperation I sense in you to protect someone I guarantee, you don't even care about. She's just a mission, a paycheck, someone you can take your frustration out on. I'd do it too if I were you."

Everything stopped. Chloe's breathing, her eyelids, her facial expression, it all froze for a solid ten seconds. Luke grinned, feeling pleased with the look of rage on Chloe's face.

"What did you say?" Chloe whispered, making sure to add the bite in her tone.

Luke opened his mouth to reply back but all he got was a fist punch and busted lips. He stumbled, tripped over his feet and fell into chair. While Luke was busy trying to get his bearings, Chloe turned around, moved out the chairs around the table, then with little effort, bent down and lifted the table. She ignored the bottle her bottle of rum and shot glass that tipped and rolled to the ground and made a mess. Chloe raised the table over her head with both arms and launched it forward, right at Luke.

The table hit Luke and connected with the side of his body. He tipped forward and crashed into the floor again. A few people in the bar turned at the scene, stunned at what had just happened. The onlookers cautiously glanced between Luke and Chloe, wondering who was going to strike next and if they needed to consider leaving. Luke groaned in pain, feeling his entire body cry out in agony. He stumbled to his feet and wrapped an arm around his middle, ignoring the hushed murmurs of several people who witnessed what happened. He whirled around, sparred the upside down table a quick glance, then trailed his eyes back over to Chloe.

"Ohhh, so you want to fight dirty?!" He snarled, walking towards her. "Then so be it!"

Chloe raised an eyebrow, her face red with rage. "That's what you get for suggesting something that isn't true between me, and my target. The way you talk, I doubt Golden Hour would be safe with you. She'd be pregnant by the end of the month and perhaps that's the real reason you desire to take her. Delicate classified case that needs observance my hide. Whatever you know, I will discover and then use against you. Count on it."

Luke lunged for Chloe, fists raised. "We'll see about that!"

Once Luke was in range, Chloe crushed her fist against his mouth again, catching his lip and front teeth against her knuckles. Luke's head snapped back and he staggered a few feet away from her. Drawing eyebrows together, Luke touched his lips and studied the blood on his fingertips, instantly annoyed at the sight of blood. Spitting a tooth out and wiping his chin clean, Luke brought his clenched fist back for another go. Chloe dodged the punch and caught him in the chin with an uppercut that sent him wobbling backwards. She followed him into of the middle of the room and past the bar, wanting to be the first thing Luke saw when he recovered. Luke ducked low and dashed at Chloe, releasing a loud war cry.

He rammed Chloe, causing her to stagger, grabbed her by the waist and lifted her, sending them both sprawling into a different table that skidded on its legs, screeched against the wooden floor under their combined weight. People jumped out of their chairs, trying to escape the violent encounter as beer bottles and glasses clattered to the floor. At this time, the bartender called to his patrons and quickly ordered them to evacuate the area and to follow him out the back door. They wrestled on the table and Luke attempted to try and pin her down, until Chloe brought the heel of her hand upwards, smashing it into his nose and feeling the cartilage crush against her hand. She heard him howl in pain and she heaved against his chest, shoving him off of her.

Luke rolled off the table, reeling backwards, grabbing his nose. "That the best you got?!"

"I'm just warming up!" Chloe shot back, rolling off the table. Out of the corner of her eye she saw two other men, far older than Luke come thundering through the entrance doors and right towards them. "More friends of yours?"

"Apprehend her, now! Don't let Agent Price escape. Forget Golden Hour, take Agent Price instead!" Luke yelled, shaking away the pain as he stepped towards her. Chloe shifted her leg back and ducked another punch aimed at her face. She ran forward and rammed her shoulder into Luke's chest, sending him reeling backwards and into a wall. Luke blinked, a little dazed from the collision and snorted in anger. "Get her, take down Agent Price!" Barked Luke, pounding his fists on the wall in frustration.

He was too blinded by his anger to do much of anything at the moment. His older co-workers went after Chloe, leaving Luke to himself. Chloe's eyes narrowed feeling hands come up from behind her and wrap around her forearms, trying to pin her in place.

"See. This is why I hate men, for this reason." She mumbled in anger, then the man dared to threaten her and actually go after the CIA personally once Golden Hour was retrieved.

Chloe stomped her heel against his leather shoe as a response to his foolish statement. He yelped, trying to step away until she grabbed his elbow and bent down, tipping him forward and flipping him over her shoulder. He landed his back, looking up at her, bewildered. Chloe bent down grabbed his head, taking a fist full of hair and turning him towards her.

"Hmm, are you like Luke? If so, hope you like pain."

The man gulped and she pulled him up by his hair, dragging the Syndicate agent to his knees. His hands went to his head and he tried to tear free the clump of hair caught in her fist. Chloe used her other fist to punch him across the face. This powerful action sent the Syndicate agent down into the floor and it was there, he laid, motionless. Chloe had knocked him out cold.

Huffing loudly, Chloe turned around, and tipped her head at Luke, challenging him with her eyes. "That it?"

At the snap of Luke's finger, a second Syndicate agent entered the fight. He picked up a chair and thrust it at Chloe's body, keeping his distance on purpose. Chloe raised her arms to shield herself, grunting when the chair made impact with her arms.

"Did it feel nice, Agent Price? Getting hit by a chair? Because I'll do worse to you!" The second Syndicate agent taunted, still refusing to come any closer.

" _Âne_..." Chloe rolled her eyes and bent down, grabbing a wine bottle that conveniently rolled towards her feet. She tossed it in the air, smirking at his frown. She caught it with ease as her smile thinned into a vicious grin. Chloe threw the wine bottle at him as hard as she could, preferably at his head. The second Syndicate agent ducked, barely missing the wine bottle. It flew past his hair and with Chloe, they winced when it smashed against the wall. "I need to work on my throw. I'm getting lazy."

Chloe didn't allow her opponent time to comment back or have a chance to think of another way to take her down. She simply took out her gun and shot him. Right between the eyes. Luke's jaw dropped and he stared at Chloe, shocked and completely blown away that she killed one of his best elite, just like that. Out of the blue. Chloe turned the barrel of the gun in Luke's direction and tilted her head to the right nonchalantly, unconcerned with what she had done.

"Don't look at me like that. There was a reason he didn't come too close. He was packing C4. I could smell it a mile away. Don't judge me, for keeping myself alive long enough to ensure my target's safety when you were willing to allow one of your own to die. See, this is why the CIA doesn't have anything to do with the Syndicate. You guys are too extreme with your methods."

"You're going to pay for this Agent Price!" Luke yelled, wincing from the pressure his bruised and busted lips experienced as he moved the muscles.

Chloe moved her head back to its normal resting position, squinted angry eyes at Luke and said something she wasn't expecting. "In or out of bed?"

Luke dead panned, blinked and arched his neck back in shock, alarmed at the random invitation. Chloe used Luke's confusion and his hesitation to her advantage. She shot him in both knee caps and took pleasure in hearing him cry out in pain. Chuckling darkly, Chloe walked over to him.

When she was close enough to his squirming body, she slowly squatted down to his level. She put her gun away with one hand and reached down to cup Luke's cheek with the other. With a sweet smile on her face, she softly remarked, "Remember when I said I sent my condolences out to your late boss? I did that, because when I sniped him, I was too distracted by making a smooth exit to show up in your room and tell you personally myself."

Luke stopped twisting around and laid still, taking in what Chloe just said. His eyes widened and even though he opened his mouth, no words came out.

"Yes. I killed him. The food poisoning was a distraction. An easy distraction too. Daniel did like to eat. All I had to do was find out where he was going to order his take out, beat him to the location, dress up as the cook and boom. Instant access to his taste buds. He drove away from that restaurant, not knowing what was in store for him. So, while he was busy puking his guts up, I delivered the final blow while he was on the toilet and holding a trash can to his face."

Luke didn't know what to say. Chloe's confession, was it intended? Did she want him to know that vital information? Since his passing, Luke wondered if a rival group took out their president but every lead he thought would reveal the truth, took him to a dead end and left him unsatisfied. The CIA, at that time, had a truce agreement with The Syndicate. So, for Chloe to be sent to kill Daniel, told Luke one thing. Daniel, his beloved leader, had done something to upset the balance between the two power houses. Something that cost Daniel his life. Luke, strangely was more upset at that revelation then losing to Chloe and having his kneecaps destroyed.

"If I, or one of my people catch you guys trying to hack our database again just so you can figure out the best way possible to assassinate our CEO in New York, I won't be so easy on you. I honestly don't understand why Daniel thought he wouldn't get caught. Why did he want our CEO to die? Why was he looking for what our CEO was doing in our spare time when not at the office? It was very suspicious but he was getting too close and made it clear he intended in his private texts to another group we both know and hate, that he was planning on taking out Rachel Amber because of her curse." Chloe's entire body tensed and her eyes clouded with anger. She stopped caressing Luke's cheek and took such a hard hold of it, she caused him severe pain. Luke groaned from the intense pinching of his lower jaw, hating how he was unable to push Chloe away. "I don't know what nonsense this is about a 'curse', but I couldn't have her life endangered. No one at the CIA wanted this fate for her, so I was ordered by their chief to end Daniel's life. It's nothing personal, I was just doing my job. But Daniel made it personal, when he put a hit on the CEO. That nicely ticked me off and I was more willing to take on the assignment." Chloe let go of Luke's face and stood up, eyes slotting half way in anger and in annoyance.

"Consider today your final warning. If you come near me or my assignment again, I won't hesitate to mess you up like I did to Jimbo over there."

Chloe hiked her thumb over her shoulder at the lifeless body that was steeped in pool of blood. Luke cautiously followed Chloe's gaze, saw his deceased friend then ever so slowly raised his gaze to meet hers. He wanted to laugh at Chloe's face. Nothing she did to their organization, was what he would take as "getting off easy". Even now, she mocked him by busting out his knee caps and playing it off like she was doing him a favor by letting him go and live to see another day. Luke wanted Chloe to pay. But he was powerless and she knew that. Smirking, Chloe rose up, then just to spite him, she kicked him in the ribs. Her grin grew hearing a sick, popping of bones. If the ribs weren't on the verge of breaking, they were going to be severely bruised in the morning.

"Have a nice day Luke." Chloe exited the bar, took ten steps across the street and found herself lunging onto the sidewalk to avoid getting hit by a black van. However, this black van, did not belong to Luke or his people. This black van had a logo on it. A logo Chloe recognized all too well. There were no pedestrians around but even if they were, Chloe knew how these people liked to play. They would take life, even bystanders if they were in the way. "Why are the Bigfoots in Portland? Detroit is their territory for a reason, no one likes the Bigfoots, the CIA doesn't even mess with those guys. What are they doing here?" Chloe blinked and her mouth parted slightly as the obvious came to her. "Oh God, don't tell me…" Chloe trialed off and glanced behind her at the hotel doors that would lead her to the one Chloe suspected the Bigfoots were after. "Could this trip get any worse?"

At that precise moment, the gentlemen coming down the street who appeared to be a bent over cripple, stood straight up, took off his shades, reached in his coat and pulled out a UZI. Chloe caught it from the corner of her eye and growled under her breath. She didn't have to shoot back so she did the only logical thing any professional killer would do when cornered by various lethal rivals… she ran into the hotel to get Max.

 

* * *

 

Max was sleeping soundly on her bed, snoring softly. She was totally relaxed, comfy and enjoying the warmth under the covers. Her plan for the day once she woke up involved taking pictures of Portland, visiting bookstores and maybe buying a box of donuts to share with Chloe. Her getting the covers flung back and jerked out of the bed and onto her feet was not the way Max pictured her morning. Blinking the sleep out of her eyes, Max stared at Chloe with a lost look on her face.

"What the? Chloe? What gives?"

"No time to talk. Come on, we gotta go. It's not safe for you here anymore Max."

Max rubbed at the back of her head and watched Chloe gathered up her camera bag and noticed how Chloe didn't bother to retrieve her suitcase or her own suitcase. Walking over to Max, Chloe slipped Max's camera bag over her head and secured it, knowing how precious it was to her. Since the Bigfoots were downstairs, probably in the process of flooding the lobby, Chloe left Max's side and decided they would escape through the window. She opened parted the curtains with ease, unlatched the lock then gently pressed her under palms against the cool glass. She pushed the window opened and heard shouting coming down from the first floor. Poking her head out, Chloe dared to see how many men were gathering but as quickly as she exposed her face, she had to duck back inside to avoid being shot buy one of them. Max's jaw dropped. Chloe, the person she was genuinely trying to understand and call her friend, almost got a head full of lead.

"Man. Those Russians don't sound happy at all." Using the back of her hand, Chloe wiped the small trail of blood off her cheek. She winced, feeling the sting the bullet scrape left behind. "Ow. Dude, why is it always Russians and nerds that pose the most problems for me?"

"Uhh. Did you just get shot at?" Max asked innocently, arching an eyebrow. Chloe shook her head, refusing to comment. She merely turned around, went over to the dresser to pick up a fancy watch. At first, Max thought it was a overseas custom design model Chloe ordered. That understanding went out the window when she saw Chloe hit a button on the side of the watch and a small, transparent, hologram screen shoot up from the face of the glass on the watch.

"Whoa! What the what?!" Max exclaimed, eyes widening. Despite all the intense acting that was taking place, Max was still groggy but she woke up a little seeing such a fancy display of power.

_"Yes? What is it?"_

Max cocked her head hearing a lovely, feminine voice and couldn't help but feel drawn to it. Whoever it was, Max saw the way Chloe's hard features softened and the faint smile form, just enough to where you could see it.

"Hey... it's so nice to hear your voice. You have me spoiled because I think I miss you right now."

_"Likewise. But you wouldn't be calling unless something went wrong. Also, you don't just go around and get sentimental like that unless you're afraid you might die. Care to enlighten me, Agent Price?"_

Max blinked, snapped her eyes onto Chloe and at first, thought she heard the voice wrong. In fact, Max tried to convince herself she didn't hear the word 'agent' and Chloe's last name in the same sentence. "What did she just call you?"

Ignoring Max's question, Chloe motioned for Max to come over and stand by her. Max walked over to Chloe, but only because she was curious to learn more about the mysterious voice and what was going on in general.

"A lot of things have gone wrong. I don't have time to give you an accurate update, but there is at least three other groups after the target and I'm pretty sure I'm going to need to rondevu with another agent before we get back to Oregon."

_"Oh, I know something is wrong if you're allowing Golden Hour to observe you. What is happening over there Agent Price?!"_

Max cringed. Now the voice just sounded annoyed with a pinch of disappointment.

Chloe sighed, glanced at Max then looked back down at the transparent hologram screen. "Can you send in Agent Hill? She's in the area, right?"

_"Well… yes. Yes, she is. But she's doing a delivery mission for me. I mean, I have no problem telling her to meet you somewhere if you think you need the back up."_

Chloe frowned and her eyebrows knitted together, creating a crease in her forehead. "I need help, Madam President."

Max shook her head in disbelief. _So, the person she's talking to is a president? Of what exactly? What is going on here?_ Max crossed her arms and waited for Chloe to hang up so she could talk to her.

_"You need help? You've never needed help before. This is a first."_

"Yeah. Laugh it up but seriously, I'm going to need back up. I mean, Golden Hour is with me. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be so insistent about it."

_"All right. I'll send Agent Hill the coordinates of the usual meeting grounds. Anything else?"_

"Yeah. What's this about a 'curse'?"

Max heard Rachel catch her breath. The pause was too blunt for it to not go unnoticed.

_"I…"_

"You know what?" Chloe slowly drawled out, looking up at her reflection in the mirror over the dresser. "Forget I asked. We can talk about that when this mission is over. Right now, I have to secure the target and get us back to Arcadia Bay. Agent Price out." Chloe heard Rachel start to speak but she pressed the button on the side of the watch, cutting their connection. "Now that that's over with. Let's go Caulfield." Chloe reached out and took Max's wrist captive.

"Wait. Where are we going? Who was that on the phone just now? Er, I'm assuming your watch is a phone?"

Chloe tugged Max towards her and peered into her eyes with such intensity, Max shifted against Chloe's chest. Not in warmth. Not in greeting. She did it to establish she was the alpha and needed Max to submit to her, no questions asked. "No time. We have to go. Now!" Chloe snapped, forcefully dragging Max in the direction of the window.

"What? No!" Max retaliated and fought against Chloe's pulling. She put her feet down and resisted Chloe. Sighing, Chloe glanced over her shoulder at Max but didn't dare let go of her wrist.

"Chloe, I don't understand. Something really strange, and weird is going on. I mean, what is up with you anyway? Who is that president person you were talking to, and why did someone try and shoot at you?" Max demanded, jerking her wrists out of Chloe's iron hold and refusing to go another step with her until she got some answers.

Chloe didn't complain or get upset. Max was in the dark about what was happening and had no idea her life was in danger. She turned around and looked at Max with such a serene calmness, it caught them both off guard. Max blinked, puzzled at Chloe's actions, let alone Chloe's body language. Chloe didn't really have the time to spare so she could explain herself but she actually tried to do it, just to see if she could. Sure enough, she parted her lips and was interrupted by an unpinned smoke grenade that dropped between them out of nowhere. The teens glanced down and acknowledged it but before Max could ask what it was doing there, Chloe stooped down, scooped it up and without hesitation, hurled it at the open window. Where it would land, she didn't know. She didn't care. It wasn't a concern. Keeping Max alive and safe was her top priority.

"What is going on here?! Was that smoke bomb?!" Max exclaimed, snapping her head up to look at Chloe for what she thought, would be a reasonable explanation.

Chloe held up a finger, pointed up at the ceiling, saying nothing. Max tipped her head back and followed her gaze and let out a startled gasp seeing a man lying flat on his stomach, camping out in the middle of the ceiling. He used suction cups to keep himself aloft on the surface, hence is why is he didn't just lose his grip and drop.

"Target is in sight. Going in now." He muttered and Chloe looked at him in disbelief and wondered for a split second, if he was stupid enough to try and take Max in her presence.

He did. Max yelped when the man fell down from the ceiling near them then straightened himself out. He completely overlooked Chloe standing right there beside of her, reached out to grab her hand and instantly, she slapped him across the face. He staggered from the slap and just like that, Chloe withdrew her gun, shot him in a vital area in the chest. He coughed up blood, hit his knees and landed on the floor in silence.

"Max get down by the bed! Now!"

Max didn't fight Chloe's order. Confused as she was, Max dove for the floor and took cover behind the bed. Chloe took charge and when she whirled around, she timed it perfectly. The second man had just made his presence known by lunging into the open window but he didn't get too far in his advance. Chloe raised the gun, aimed and shot the other man twice. One bullet in the chest and one bullet in the stomach. He jerked backwards and sent himself out the window and down to the cemented ground. Chloe really hoped the elderly weren't walking the streets, otherwise they'd see more than what they barged for.

"Max. Forget your clothes. I'll replace them. We need to leave. Now." Chloe crisply retorted, turning around and starting for the door, gun still held at the ready.

Max was in her pajamas and nowhere near presentable but given with what was happening, Max understood two things. She needed to get out of the hotel and blindly put her trust with a girl she thought she was building an honest friendship with and lastly, Chloe was not who she appeared to be. Chloe changed her tactic and decided she would risk going through the hotel room's door but not take Max through the lobby. They would exit the hotel through another room that would lead them outside. Max followed in a worried, stiff silence, unsure of what to think or how to take everything in.

She was literally watching Chloe lead her out of the hotel that was infested with goons from various organizations. And from what Max could understand, they all wanted her. Chloe didn't appear like that. If anything, Chole was trying to protect her but what difference did it make? Chloe had taken life and Chloe was stronger than she was. These truths made Max not want to trust Chloe but at the same time, what choice did she have? Their exit on the fourth floor was easy enough. Chloe broke into the room using some kind of card that hacked the door code. Prior to entering the hotel room, they went through a window, down a fire escape and into the parking lot. As expected, the Bigfoots and the remaining members of The Syndicate had teamed up and were waiting for them.

"Man. I really need to work on my timing better. Max."

Chloe used her index finger and wagged it towards herself. "C'mere."

Max turned to Chloe then cried out in surprise when Chloe abruptly bent down, not breaking her brisk pace, and hoisted her small body over one of her shoulders. Reaching into her pocket, Chloe took out what appeared to be normal pack of cigarettes. But they were the farthest thing from nicotine. The cigarettes, were in fact, small sticks of dynamite. Since the parking lot of the hotel was huge, Chloe could risk messing things up and not feel guilty about it.

"Eat this you no good-"

"Chloe, they don't look happy."

Chloe rolled her eyes, hating that Max choose that moment to point out the obvious. "Yeah. I know that Max."

Chloe ran her thumb down the side of the small box and the logo that had a red background shifted to a green color. The soft beeping told Max that the pack cigarettes really weren't for smoking and even though she already put that together for herself, she still gasped and started to hyperventilate.

"Um. Are you really going to throw that at them?"

With the now activated pack of explosives activated, Chloe kept Max balanced and firmly tossed the entire pack cigarettes at their pursuers feet. They didn't see it coming. The flash of light that went off, blinded them and several of the Bigfoots lost their lives where they were the ones in front of The Syndicate. Bigfoots took the brunt of the explosion, and The Syndicate got the after lash. Max stared at men untangling themselves behind Chloe's back as she was carried through the parking lot and over to Chloe's truck. When they reached the truck, Chloe kept Max aloft on her shoulder then quickly, but carefully, opened the passenger side door. Chloe placed Max inside the cab, camera bag and all, buckled her in then hurried over to the driver's side.

"So, I'm kinda a CIA agent that has been assigned to keep you safe for the time being." Chloe reluctantly admitted, causing Max to blink hard and do a double take.

"Wait. You're a what?" Max squeaked, struggling to take in the news.

Chloe looked at Max, arched an eyebrow and found herself reaching over to brush some of her hair behind her ear. Under normal circumstances, Max would have appreciated the attention. Currently, she didn't know how to feel about being stroked by a hand that she saw shoot men, not even less than twenty minutes ago and one in particular, in cold blood. Max didn't want to insult Chloe or do something that would make her angry and get shot over it, so she sat there and allowed Chloe to do it as an awkward silence settled between them.

"I'm…"Trailing off, Chloe withdrew her hand and put back on the steering wheel. "A CIA agent, that was sent from a branch in New York to assure your safety. At first, I thought the CIA was being paranoid with your case, but after today, I'm starting to see why we were paid to retrieve you. Seems our client, and inside source knew of your value, and wanted to have you to himself. It's my feelings on it anyway, wouldn't surprise me if I'm correct."

That news didn't make Max feel like she was safe. It did the opposite. Frowning, Max glanced down and focused on the floor mat. She couldn't stand to look at Chloe, not while she was confused and torn between getting out of the truck and risking her life or staying in the truck and securing her life. Either way, Max was surrounded by death. She knew it was cruel of her to think of her situation in that light, but it was truth. Chloe used a gun, took a man's life and possibly more, Max wasn't sure and she didn't want to ask Chloe either. If Max left and went to the group of men that were chasing her, there was no guarantee they are going to be kind to her, explain to her what was going or tell her the truth. At least Max had built a friendship with Chloe and Max wanted to think that meant something. Unless of course, it was all just for show. Chloe frowned, sensing Max's unspoken insecurities and wanted to clear up the misunderstanding. Something she wouldn't have done in the past for a target.

"Whatever is going on between us… everything we've been through up until this point was, and still is real. I'm glad that I became your friend Max."

"I don't know if I believe that." Max bitterly interjected, slowly glancing over in Chloe's direction.

"You're welcome to believe whatever you want. I really don't care what you think of me nor do I need your approval to do what I see fit for myself. I chose to get to know you, just as I chose to tell you the truth. I didn't have to do any of that you know? I still could have completed this assignment without even bothering to be your friend."

"So, why did you do it? Why did you want to become my friend? Are you after me too?"

Chloe turned her head and looked at Max with every intention to answer her but was interrupted by rocket missile that whooshed past the windshield and blew up five cars several feet to the right of them. Chloe glanced over to survey the damage out her window and nodded slightly to show her approval.

"Ahh. They used a portable FIM-92 Stinger on those cars… nice. I can actually commend that. I'm more of a SA-7, and SA-14 myself. They're lighter to carry, and so much easy to dismantle on the go."

Chloe shrugged, not even bothered by the rising flames coming off the cars. Max was not so docile without her emotions. She was freaking out. Big time.

"Eh, whatever. They must really want to make an impression. But did they really have to go and blow up half the parking lot. I was going to use that exit area too, but whatever. Guess we'll die."

Chloe knew they weren't going to literally die. She was the protection and Max's guarantee out of a tricky situation. She said that last part as a personal inside joke to herself, to lift her spirits. Chloe did use social medias and have an online life too when she wasn't running around the countryside risking her neck for strangers. And one of the perks of having an online life and observing others is picking up on catchy phrases. Stating that one would die, was one of them. It was to mock the obvious and give notice to the fact that a situation could be dangerous, even life threatening and the person accepts it by saying they would die. Chloe spoke those words with humor, but her dull, monotone and serious eyes gave Max another impression.

"Die?! We're going to die?!" Max exclaimed, covering her mouth. "Was that a-"

"Shhh. Max." Chloe whispered, taking her hand off the steering wheel and placing it on Max's shoulder, weighing it down. "Don't think about. Just look the other way and leave this to me."

She snapped her head forward, started up the vehicle and without looking, backed up the truck in the very direction of the men who were struggling to get their act together. She honked on the horn, startling them. They jumped out of the way, barely managing to avoid getting hit by the truck. Chloe did a swift U-turn, hit the gas pedal and took off zooming down the road. Several minutes passed and neither teen could seem to find it in them to talk.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, Max opened her mouth to break the silence. "Chloe… I have a confession to make."

Chloe couldn't be sure what it was Max needed to come clean about but she shrugged, flexing her fingers on the steering wheel. "And I have a concussion. Hope you're happy."

Max raised an eyebrow, thrown by the retort."Umm, no? Why would I-"

"Chillax sista." Chloe shifted out of her killer mode and back to her carefree life as a rebel student. Max noted the change of tone and saw Chloe actually crack a faint smile from the corner of her eyes. "It's not that bad. Who would have that Luke could tackle like a football quarterback?"

Chloe muttered, taking a moment to stroke over the sore throbbing spot on her lower torso. Sighing, Chloe glanced over at Max and offered her a decent, genuine smile. "I didn't mean to confuse you. I just thought I could lighten to the mood. You gotta speak. So, speak. I know you got a lot on your mind and want to get the betrayal, anger and junk off your chest so have it. We got a long way to go before I meet up with Agent Stella. Also, just so we're clear. I'm the good guy in all of this, not your enemy. The CIA sent me to you and well, originally you were going to be taken in secret for a client but the CEO didn't like that so I..."

Max was listening to Chloe's story. She sat back in the seat, hands crossed on her lap, head bowed deep in thought. She eventually began to chew on her lower lip when she felt the anxiety building up in her chest. When the sensation got the point where she felt smothered, Max interrupted Chloe right in the middle of a sentence.

"I can rewind time and my family has been keeping me hidden from certain people because they know I carry the Mutagen DNA that people want to control!"

Chloe could safely say, she did not see Max's outburst coming and it messed with her so much, she had a bad reaction. "You're a  _Mutagen?!_ "

Chloe exclaimed, slamming on the gas pedal to force the vehicle to come to a sudden stop. Knowing she couldn't just leave the truck in the middle of the road, Chloe jerked the steering wheel to the left and gently eased the truck off the road and onto the sidelines, barely managing to scrape the passenger door against the guard rail. The thick cloud of smoke from the gravel settled around the truck and for a longest time, the only sound that could be heard was their breathing. When Chloe felt composed and like she wasn't going to go off the deep end, she slowly turned her head to look at Max. Feeling her stare, Max met Chloe's gaze with an apologetic look on her face. Her expression, spoke volumes and Chloe called Max out on it.

"You've been targeted before, haven't you?"

Max timidly nodded. "Yes. Ever since I was a kid."

Chloe's narrowed her eyes ever so slowly. "Am I… the first CIA agent to guard you, by any chance?"

Max shook her head. "No. There was someone else… someone that the CIA, at that time, thought would be up to the task and could keep me safe. My family contacted the CIA out of desperation and wanted protection. Evidently, bad people had tried to steal me before, even as a newborn out from under my parent’s feet. Finally, my father contacted the CIA and paid a lot of money to have an agent take me into his home, into his custody."

Chloe frowned, blinked, looked off to stare through the windshield of the truck, amazed to learn such things about Max's past. "Wait. Hold up. So, your mom and dad, were going to give you away to another family? How could they do such a thing?"

Max rubbed at her arm and shrugged a shoulder, at a loss. "Maybe we should ask, how could they not? I'm a Mutagen, Chloe. Ever since my mom found out she was pregnant with me my family was constantly being cased out. I guess they thought, where they couldn't do anything to ensure my safety I would be better off raised by someone who specialized in fighting off the dark shadows? I'm not condoning what my parents did back then, but I can understand why."

Gaze still fixed on the windshield, Chloe asked Max an interesting question. "You mentioned a bit ago, that the CIA was going to send you an agent, someone that your family I'm assuming, was going to meet and sign you over to?"

"Y-Yeah. That's right."

"Do you happen to know the name of that agent?"

Max cocked her head and narrowed her eyes, trying hard to remember the name of the CIA agent her parents had contacted. When a name finally came, Max turned to Chloe and nodded a little to indicate that she recalled the agent. "Yeah. But I only remember his first name. Not his last name."

Chloe gestured for Max to continue. "And?"

"His name was William."

Chloe's eyes widened, her jaw dropped and that was the last thing she remembered before her entire world went black.


	3. Episode 3: Drop Off

**Time:** 3:30 AM

 **Location:** Oregon, Portland - Route 45

* * *

 

"Is this really happening?!" Max glanced up at the rearview mirror, and cringed at the sight of three black vehicles closing in. Where did they even come from? How did they find them so quickly? Max wasn't sure, and she wasn't prepared to meet her Maker. Not yet. She wanted to live and enjoy her life, preferably  _without_  the crime world trying to sabotage her future. "Chloe please. Wake up. I'm begging you, wake up!"

Max risked taking one hand off the steering wheel, so she could reach over to shake Chloe's shoulder. After learning the truth about Max's situation and the name of the agent from her past, Chloe blacked out against her will and slumped right into Max. Max caught Chloe and whispered her name and gave her small shake, unsure of what to do. She didn't have a lot of time consider her options. Three roaring engines could be heard off in the distant and Max was convinced it wasn't friendly travelers passing by.

Afraid for her life and even more afraid of what the enemy would do to Chloe, Max pushed through her insecurities and her eyes snapped over to the steering wheel. She didn't have a license, but she had a permit and she could drive. With a determined look on her face, Max gently laid Chloe's head down on the seat and squinted at the steering wheel. If they were going to make it out of their situation safely she couldn't just sit there and do nothing. Max didn't stop to look out the window to see if it was a normal car she heard or the enemy. Since getting woke up at the hotel, Max had enough common sense to know that every car, every noise, every person she saw until Chloe woke up, could be considered a suspect or a threat.

Minding Chloe's body, Max crawled over her as quickly as she could, adjust the steering wheel so she could use it and she took off down the road, leaving a thick cloud of dust behind her. They hadn't been on the highway ten minutes before Max saw the three black vans rushing towards them. They were all over the road and Max wondered if there were innocent drivers coming their way, if their enemies in question would actually crash into those people or shoot at their tires and cause an accident. Shuddering at the thought, Max shook her head to clear it, centering herself. She needed to stay focused and find a safe house. The problem was there wasn't a pull off or public setting for her to escape to. Not yet anyway.

"Come on Chloe. Wake up." Without taking her eyes off the road, Max attempted to shake Chloe's shoulder again, but she did it much harder this time. All she got from Chloe was mumbling and something about asking her father not to leave her. Confused, Max blinked, glanced down at Chloe then looked back to the front. "Is she… dreaming?" Max sighed gave up on trying to rouse Chloe from her slumber. For now, she would do her best to keep them safe and in one piece. "I knew dad letting me drive the back roads would pay off one day. I just wish…" Max trailed off and cut the steering wheel to the right and cut back on the speed. The curve she had to drive through was narrow, sudden and made her heart race. Coming out of the curve, Max increased her speed but so did her pursuers. "It had been under safer, normal circumstances!"

Max growled and moved into a right lane far off to the side, thinking she could take the exit that was coming up, so she could find another route that would lead them to area with public landmarks. Her hope was the enemy would get nervous and back off. Just as Max pressed down on the gas pedal, increasing her speed, no longer concerned about obeying the speed limit, Chloe groaned, and her face scrunched up in pain. She began to pant, clutch at the fabric of the seat and jerk. Max noticed this and saw it all happen from the corner of her eyes but was too distracted on keeping them safe to stop, pull over and see what was wrong. Chloe was deeply submerged in sleep and any sounds she heard, she counted as mere background noise that didn't require her to wake up. But she desired to open her eyes, so she didn't have to experience the nightmare she dreaded and had always been trying to escape… ever since that day she saw William jump in front of her and fight off the assassin who took his head off.

" _Agent Price, where are you? I'm at the drop off point. It's not like you to be late."_

"Wha…? Who was that?" Max whispered, eyes darting around the truck in search of the audio voice.

" _Agent Price, hello? What's your ETA? Come on, give me a little bit of a heads up. And an update about Golden Hour would be grand about now."_

Turning her head, Max looked down at Chloe's bullet necklace and realized the audio vice was emitting from one of the bullets. Keeping a hand steady on the steering wheel, Max carefully but swiftly, took Chloe's bullet necklace off around her neck and observed the item briefly. The first and third bullet were completely normal. It was the middle one that was the decoy device. Max wasn't sure what to push on the bullet to engage with the person on the receiving end, so she took a wild guess and pressed on the tip of the bullet and started speaking.

As soon as Max pressed down on the tip, it went into the metal hole and a small noticeable green light at the bottom of the caliber lit up. Max spoke up, hoping her voice didn't crack or sound puny. "U-Um. Hello to whoever this is. Agent Chloe is not able to answer the uh… bullet right now."

The woman on the other end sighed.

 _"This is embarrassing for her and myself. All right, middleman."_ The audio voice cleared her throat, recalling the person she was speaking to was feminine to the ear. She sounded annoyed and if Max was going to be completely honest, angry that she had answered instead of Chloe. _"Since you are the middle woman I acknowledge you are not in charge and you have my word that I, nor the other agents will harm you, your friends, co-workers or family members. Please know this call is now being recorded by the CIA and we maintain the right to press charges if you give us reason to. Middle woman, what have you done with Agent Price, what was your reason for taking her, what is the amount of ransom you want for her? If you are delegated to speak for yourself, I will ask you plainly—who is your mob boss, ringleader, man or woman in charge that our people need to get in contact with to negotiate a trade? Or is trade not an option? If not, please say so now. Also, if you do not speak within a reasonable time frame or hang up on me, we will receive this call as a declaration of war and proceed to confront you, your boss and anyone else involved with our agent."_

Max's jaw dropped, suddenly intimidated. _Wowser. All of that just because I answered instead of Chloe? Is she that important to the CIA?_

"I-I'm not the middle woman." Max managed to squeak out, taking a sharp turn around the corner. The black vans were still in hot pursuit and Max was on the verge of crying. She held it together until they physically starting shooting at her. Stella heard the gunfire and instantly started up her sports car.

" _Where are you, whoever you are and is Agent Price all right or not? Who's shooting at you?"_

"I don't know, I don't know!" Max shouted and that's all it took for her to burst into tears. Stella frowned and tried to hold her patience, as she was trained to do with frantic victims such as Max.

"The last place we were, was at a small town in Portland."

" _What was the name of the town?"_

More gunfire sounded off and Max screamed. She pushed the truck to go faster down the highway and as soon as she saw the other cars on the road, she honked the horn, desperate to warn them to get off the road and seek shelter, if they afford to.

_"The town! I need a name so I can figure out where you and Agent Price are!"_

"I can't remember the name of the town but the place Chloe went to while I stayed in the hotel room was called Horse Brass Pub."

Stella nodded distractedly as she typed the location into her terminal on the car's dashboard. _"I know that place. You came from Sunnyside, the east section of Portland between Southeast Stark Street and Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard. Ma'am can you tell me if you remembering leaving the city from the north or south part of Sunnyside?"_

Max couldn't exactly give Stella an accurate answer, but she did describe the buildings and the street signs. Stella grinned. She knew where to find them. " _All right Ma'am, I need you to keep driving straight, as long as you can without endangering yourself or other drivers until I catch up with you guys."_

Max spared a glance at the rearview mirror and saw one of the cloaked men in a black van shoot at an unsuspecting Mustang. The Mustang blew a tire and spun widely off to the side and crashed violently into the guardrail. "You don't have to worry about me hitting other cars. The enemy is doing that for me."

Stella rolled her eyes, pressing down harder on the gas pedal. From the sounds of it, Max was having a hard time and she didn't want Max to get hurt. Narrowing her eyes behind her black shades, Stella calmly replied into The comset in her ear, " _Listen to me. You don't have any reason to be afraid."_

Max pressed her lips and sniffed softly, trying her best to quiet her frantic sobs.

"I-I don't?"

" _No. You have the CIA's best agent in her Class, in our field with you, correct? She's not hurt right? Just… I'm assuming, really knocked out?"_

"Yeah. And I think it's my doing and I-"

" _Shh. Listen. It doesn't matter how Agent Price got unconscious, she's trained to wake up after a certain time frame passes. Given if she's in a safe environment that is, Agent Price will come to and resume her mission like before."_

Max swallowed a lump and blinked the tears out of her eyes, intrigued by Stella's response. "You can train your body to do that?"

" _In theory for some people, yes, it’s doable, but for the majority? No. Agent Price is special like that. She **will**  wake up and when she does, she will be angry and ready to kill. I'm not joking. When she registers that she's been unconscious, and your life was endangered and if you're still being chased, she will not spare anyone. I don't know how you feel about death. Religious beliefs or not, personal preference or not, we are trained to kill, not murder. If the enemy leaves us no choice, we kill. Period. Do you understand what I'm telling you, Ma'am?"_

Max took a deep breath and started to reply to Stella but cried out in alarm hearing the left mirror explode and glass fly everywhere. "Yes!" She whimpered, gripping the steering wheel harder. Before Stella cut off all communication with Max, she asked for her name.

" _And what is your name, Ma'am?"_

"Chloe-" Thinking addressing Chloe so informally would be offensive to the CIA agent, Max quickly corrected herself. "Agent Price referred to me as Golden Hour. My real name is Maxine Caulfield."

Stella's eyes widened. " _Golden Hour? **The Golden Hour?**  That's who you are?!"_

Max made an unhappy face hearing Stella's voice raise. "I-Is that such a terrible thing?"

" _Well that will depend on who gets to you first, Golden Hour. Hang on tight. I'm almost to your location and if I see the enemy before Agent Price wakes up, you have my word they will be dealt with."_

"Wait!" Max didn't want Stella to hang up on her. She was scared and without the comfort of someone else's voice. "Don't leave me alone…" Max whispered brokenly. Bowing her head, Max kept her blurry eyes on the road and continued to cry on and off for several more minutes. That was when she felt the gentlest massage on the back of her neck and a soft voice fill her ears.

"Caulfield, you're a real cry baby… you know that?"

Max had to keep her eyes on the road. If it wasn't for that she'd look down at Chloe and playfully jab her. "Shut up! You're trained to handle this stuff. I'm not."

"Heh…" Chloe's weak chuckle made her come across vulnerable and amazingly, approachable. Chloe continued to massage Max's neck while she got her bearings and naturally regained her strength. "You're doing fine. Just drive straight. I heard the whole conversation you had with Agent Hill. You did well, for someone who has never done this sorta thing before."

Max smiled a little bit and let out a shaky laugh. She took one hand off the steering wheel, so she could wipe her eyes. "Yeah?"

Chloe nodded gently in agreement. "Yeah. And once I get a grip, there will be a reckoning, Caulfield. My job is to protect you and I'm going to do that."

Chloe's fingers dug into the base of Max's neck, and inched up every and now then and raked through her scalp. It was effective, and Max's crying had ceased since Chloe showed her that brief moment of affection. Chloe watched Max for a long moment then grinned just to where you could see it. She was glad to see that Max was starting to feel better and with her finally calm, Chloe slowly sat up and looked over her shoulder. Two of the black vans were missing but one was still stalking them.

Chloe smirked, knowing fully why the other two were no longer in the picture. "That's Agent Hill for you. I love that girl. She's so good at being her. Now Max, pull over."

"What?" Max whispered, looking over at Chloe then snapping her head back to the front.

"You want me to-"

"Pull over, yes. You heard me correctly." Chloe opened her glove compartment and took out a different gun from the one Rachel said she could use for protection.

This gun was one of Chloe's personal favorites. Max pulled the truck over as Chloe prepped the beast for battle. The van was still catching up and Max figured if they died, she could at least die educated. After she turned the ignition off, she turned to Chloe, pointed down at the gun and asked her,

"Chloe, what is that?"

"A gun." Chloe muttered, reaching for another caliber to load into the weapon.

Max shook her head, not surprised Chloe would come back at her with a vague response. "No, I mean. What kind of gun is it? What does it do?"

Chloe glanced up and their eyes met. Arching an eyebrow, Chloe lifted the gun in her hand to where they both could see it and she gave Max the rundown of the model. "What you see here, is a CZ Scorpion EVO 3 S1 Pistol."

Max knew they were in danger, but she didn't care anymore. Every time Chloe spoke she loved the sound of her voice and found herself just sitting there, content with just listening to her speak.

"It's a blowback-operated semi-auto in 9mm with a short 7¾in. barrel. Equipped with newly designed low-profile sights, this baby has rear sight and four different aperture sizes for everything from close quarters to way out there, if you catch my drift. The sights ride on an 11in. Picatinny rail. Which for the record, is perfect for mounting optics. Wanna know what else it's good for?"

Max slowly raised an eyebrow and attempted to suggest what she thought it was when Chloe reached out, grabbed her and thrust her down onto the seat.

"Messing up annoying tagalongs who need to get around. Like this jerk back here."

Keeping her hand on Max's head, Chloe let fire, right at the back window of the truck, shattering it to pieces. With the glass gone, she took aim and waited for the black van to draw closer. By the time the driver realized what Chloe was doing, it was too late. She shot at the windshield of the tinted glass and blinded the driver. The black van spiraled out of control and smashed itself into a thick Red Oak tree. The driver died on impact, but some of his co-workers survived the crash and were getting out of the flaming van. Glancing down at Max, Chloe's features softened, and she found herself brushing the shards of glass off Max in a motherly manner.

When it hit Chloe that she was behaving out of character, she blinked rapidly and jerked her head once and scolded herself for doing such a thing in the middle of a mission. _What is wrong with me? Man… some getaway vacation this is turning out to be. How did it end up like this?_ "Max, get out of the truck. Now please."

There it was again. Instead of using a strict, demanding voice Chloe was gentle and her eyes softened the moment Max lifted her head and looked at her. Max noticed the difference too. They hadn't been friends too long, but Max knew enough about Chloe that she was acting slightly out of her norm. Max liked it, but she wasn't going to admit that to Chloe. They exited the truck and Chloe turned to Max and jerked her head in the direction of some tall, thick bushes.

"Make a like a leaf and leave, 'kay? I gotta do something I don't want you to see…"

Max knew what Chloe was referring to and although it made her cringe on the inside, she obeyed and went to hide herself in the bushes. Max sat down behind the thicket and drew her knees up and just when she thought she could relax, Chloe and the men in black started yelling, each in their respectful languages. Chloe understood what they were saying, and she spoke back in their tongue and was actually glad Max didn't know what they were saying.

“ _And budum iznasilovaniye yeye, togda vy!_ ” One of the Russian assassins growled and cast Chloe a vicious glare.

Angry at his prideful declaration of what he would do to Max's body, then to her body, Chloe got mean with him right back. “ _Ne yesli and ubiystvo vy pervyy…_ ”

The Russian smirked, finding Chloe's confidence rather becoming and was strangely aroused by her challenge to take him on. Hearing the approaching footsteps of his men, the man held up a fist, and barked at them to stay back. “ _Ostavat'sya nazad!_ ” The man slowly craned his neck back around and a crooked grin spread across his face, revealing two gold crowned teeth.

His men hesitated but nodded and quietly sheathed their weapons, respecting their elder’s decision to fight alone.

"The wench wants a fight? Then I'll give it to her and then rip every limb off her body, in the most painfullest way possible. Vlad would want me to do this."

Chloe eyes widened slightly. "Oh. You're from Sean Prescott's neck of the woods? Heh, shocker. I didn't realize Prescott was teaming up with Bigfoots." Chloe shrugged then rolled her neck from shoulder to shoulder. The popping that followed was a relief and felt good to release.

"No matter. Are we gonna fight like men now or little girls with pacifiers in their mouths?"

The response Chloe got was rushed tackle to the ground. Max heard a lot of yelling, grunting and lots of scuffling. At times it sounded like Chloe was winning then it sounded like the Russian was dominating her. How? Max wasn't sure, but she didn't want to poke her head up to find out. After what seemed like forever, Max heard the other Russian yell,

"Ivan!"

Curiosity getting the better of her, Max cautiously stood up from her secluded shelter and caught the finale of the fight. There, standing triumphantly on two feet was Chloe. Her hair was a mess, she had bruises forming around her eyes, neck and shoulders and vicious looking bite marks around her neck as well. She was breathing hard and staring down at the lifeless face of Ivan. He put up a good fight but that last puncture technique to his chest, stopped his heart from beating completely.

Chloe knew, from having been taught by her martial arts sensei in the CIA, there were five ways to strike pressure points to cause loss of control, unconsciousness, death, and delayed death. She went right for death, but it took her awhile to get Ivan exhausted and distracted from how her hands were taking the form of the technique. Spitting out the blood she felt from being stabbed in the stomach, Chloe shook off the dizziness and turned angry eyes on Ivan's men. Ivan cheated there towards the end and stabbed her. Now Chloe was just ticked and wasn't going to hold back.

"You want to join your buddy in the land of the dead too? Come at me bro. I'll kill every single one of you."

Releasing frustrated battle cries, the remaining Russians charged at Chloe. Where Ivan used his fists, they honored him by using theirs on Chloe as well. Max watched in terror at the graphic scene unfold before her eyes. The hand that had just so beautifully given her comfort on the neck and fingers that ran through her scalp, calming her nerves—just defeated four husky, well trained Russians like it was nothing. One guy, Chloe put in an armlock and twisted his head so fast, she snapped his neck bone, cutting off air circulation and Max had the displeasure of seeing that man struggle until Chloe did the move again. This time, the Russian didn't move and when she let him go, he fell to the ground and joined Ivan. One by one, Chloe fought off each Russian and one by one, until they met their end.

Doubling over, Chloe coughed and coughed hard. Her muscles were burning, her head was spinning, her breathing was twice as labored, and she sounded like she was going about to have a legit asthma attack. With the coast clear, Max came out of hiding and ran over to her.

"Chloe!" Max saw Chloe was swaying from exhaustion and had she not reached her when she did, Chloe would have hit the ground and laid there in agony. "Are you okay?"

Max asked, helping lower Chloe to the ground so she could rest. Chloe's breathing was still slightly labored, and her eyes were barely open. Weak and wounded as she was, she held Max's stare with such firmness it impressed Max.

"I dunno. Ivan was a real jerk, and petty in that fight. Russians… are so… tough."

Max felt the pressure building in her eyes and swallowed the lump in her throat. "Don't talk like that. Your friend will be here soon, and she can help you."

"Nah man. Death ain't so bad. I mean, I've been in worse situations than this."

Max's features saddened when she heard that, and she gave Chloe an anxious, desperate look. Seeing it, Chloe shrugged then winced deeply as pain shot through her arm. The arm Ivan fractured.

"Can't think of any right now but... you get the idea, right?" Chloe's words were breathy and short with little force behind them. This upset Max very much.

"Dork. You can't die on me Chloe. We just met, and… and…"

Chloe's sleepy eyes widened a little feeling water hit her forehead. "Hippie… are you crying again?"

"Yes!" Max answered honestly and letting a sob rack her body.

Chloe attempted to open her eyes a little wider. "Hey… look at me."

Max did as she was told, her eyes stinging from trying to hold back the tears. Chloe groaned as she tried to sit up. "Chloe, what are you-?"

Chloe shook her head weakly, not wanting Mac to speak. She reached her hand out and captured Max's cheek, pulled her closer and pressed her lips to her forehead. Max's jaw slowly fell open feeling Chloe's trembling lips brush over the area where she had kissed her.

"I think I… love you, as a true friend. I know we haven't known each other that long but… I really think I… care for you. This is bad. I'm not supposed to genuinely care for the target. My job is to protect, and defend and…" Chloe slumped into Max's shoulder and instantly Max brought her arms up and wrapped them around Chloe. Instinctively, Chloe rested her head on Max's shoulder and went still, knowing what was happening and completely powerless to stop it. Sensing that was what was happening. Max did something neither girl saw coming. She lifted up her hand and placed it over the gash wound that she could clearly see and gently placed her hand over it. "Max… what are you doing?" Chloe's eyes fluttered open feeling a cooling sensation spread through her aching body. It only lasted a few seconds, but it was so effective, the torment that was rapidly taking her out of this world, stopped. "What did you do to me?" Chloe asked in hushed whispered, glancing down at where Max's head was. Opening her eyes, she glanced down at Chloe and gave her a shy, brave smile.

"I did something my parents forbid me to do."

Chloe gradually narrowed her eyes and nodded to show she was listening.

"I um… froze the blood and the area of your wound with my time power. I hope that's… okay?"

Chloe blinked, stunned that Max would do such a thing. "You used your power? To save me?"

Max nodded then she leaned in and openly nuzzled Chloe. Chloe caught her breath and felt herself react to the tender affection emotionally. She started to cry. It had been so long since Chloe allowed herself to feel anything outside of professionalism. Yet somehow Max Caulfield awakened a part of her that even Rachel couldn't touch.

"I couldn't save your dad. I wanted to try to at least save you, Chloe. I think I love you too. You're a good friend and I want to get to know you better. Grow with you and be helpful for you. I don't care that you're a CIA Agent anymore and you kept that from me. I don't care that you've killed people to ensure the safety of others. All I care about is you right now and I don't want you to die so please. Live, Chloe. Live for me?"

That statement only made Chloe lift trembling hands and cling to Max and cry harder. For the first time since her father's passing, Chloe genuinely broke down and she mourned. Right there in the middle of the woodland, in her target's arms. By the time Stella zoomed up to them and parked her vehicle, Max had rocked Chloe to sleep. Max wasn't sure how long the freeze would be, so she was very glad to see another CIA agent headed towards them. As Stella approached, she became aware that Chloe was hurt and that the blood splotches on the ground, Chloe's torso and Max's chest, did not belong to the men she walked past. It was Chloe's blood and she had lost a lot of it.

Stella stopped by Max and knelt down, two fingers pressed against the ear that had her comset. "Agent Hill, reporting in."

_"Wonderful. Did you find Agent Price and Golden Hour?"_

Stella gave Max and Chloe a quick once-over and nodded briefly. "Yes, Madam President. Both are secured and appear to be safe, but Agent Price is wounded. She'll have to abort the mission and return to base."

Max knew it was selfish of her, but she hugged Chloe closer and placed her chin protectively on Chloe's head and gave Stella a grumpy glare. Stella felt it and let it go. She feared something like that might have been going on, which is why she wanted to relieve Chloe of the mission. Getting close to a target was against company policy for several reasons. For the moment, Stella didn't inform Rachel about what she had suspected since her talk with Max or even what she was seeing with her own eyes. She had enough respect for Chloe that she would wait and until Chloe was treated and properly recovered before addressing her.

_"That's not good. Can you bring them to the next drop off location to Agent Conner’s Safe House or do you want Agent Gingrich to fly in and pick you all up? She's in the area this month so it wouldn't be a problem for her."_

Stella shook her head. "That won't be necessary. I took care of the extra baggage and we should be in the clear but it's not a good idea to stick around here. When they don't see their people return, a scout will surely come this way so I will contact you later. Permission to be dismissed, Madam President?"

_"Dismissed, Agent Hill. I am exceptionally happy with your report. Carry on."_

Rachel sounded pleased with her and Stella blushed from happiness. It wasn't everyday Rachel did that so Stella felt good about her performance to get the praise.

"All right Golden Hour-"

"Max…"

Stella deadpanned hearing the darker undertone in Max's voice. "What?" Stella peered closer at Max, wondering if she had somehow offended her.

"My  _name_ is  _Max._  And I would really appreciate it if you guys would stop referring to me like that when I'm in your presence. Agent Chloe does so why can't you?"

Stella took a deep breath and exhaled subtly through her nostrils. "All right. Have it your way,  _Max_." Stella reached for Chloe and noted how Max tensed just by her moving to touch Chloe. "May I take Agent Price from you Max? I need to get her situated in the car now."

Max reluctantly let go of Chloe and allowed Stella to take Chloe away and load her into the vehicle. Max grabbed Chloe's gun and stuffed it in her camera bag then started to get in the backseat where Chloe was laid out, but Stella put an end to that the second she saw Max starting to get into the back seat.

"Targets sit up front. Company policy."

Max looked up, and frowned, somehow doubting that was true. Even if it was true, Max shook her head and got in the back seat with Chloe anyway. Stella rolled her eyes and pretended that Max's insubordination didn't upset her. "Where are you taking me?"

Stella cocked her head to the side as she started up the ignition to her beloved McLaren Senna Supercar. The reason Stella valued her company car over other models is because hers was custom designed to house four people instead of just two and went twice as fast. "Someplace safe." Stella looked behind her shoulder, past the head of her seat and right into Max's stubborn face. "And that's all you need to know, Max."

Nodding, Max eased back into the comfy leather and occupied herself by looking out the window. She didn't do anything. She didn't fight, and she certainly didn't overexert herself in fight. Chloe and evidently, Stella had done those things. Yet she felt like she had just as much of right to feel tired and entitled to some respect from Stella. She saved Chloe—sort of. She wasn't going to tell Stella that. Taking a slow breath, Max glanced down at Chloe and watched her sleep for a long moment.

 _Poor thing. She looks so tired and is barely hanging on. I should… let her know how grateful I am for her service to me. But, how do I do that without-_ Max's thoughts were interrupted by Chloe's soft groaning.

Stella ignored it, as this was not the first time Chloe had been hurt and she had to listen to her while transporting her back to the base. Stealing a quick glance at the rearview mirror, Max checked to see if Stella was watching. Stella was very focused on the road and taking the right shortcuts to help put them on the route that would take them to New York. Stella of course, was stationed in Oregon. Another agent would meet them at a checkpoint and receive the two and the process would repeat itself until they reached the base. "I'm not going back to Blackwell ever, again am I?" Max asked this soft question to Chloe, knowing Chloe wouldn't answer but Stella did, which put Max off.

"No. You're a  _Mutagen_. A freak of nature that scientist can't understand how your type of class comes to be and serve as a threat to us normal types existence. So, no Miss Caulfield. You won't be returning to your fantasy of being a normal girl."

Max blushed from anger and opened her mouth to snap back, feeling the urge to defend her reasons to fit into society despite her situation as a Mutagen. She caught her breath feeling the familiar pattern of a massage play at the base of her neck. Blinking, Max quickly snapped her eyes down to Chloe, who was semi-awake but still very much half asleep. Smiling faintly to herself, Max leaned down and pecked Chloe softly on the forehead. Chloe instinctively smiled and opened her eyes a little. Max scooted closer to Chloe and using one hand, she gently lifted her head up off the emergency pillow Stella pulled out of the trunk for Chloe to rest on and stuffed it behind the driver's passenger seat. Smiling, she used the other hand to come down, and cup the side of Chloe's face. She had a fever. It was understandable, given with her wound and the exhaustion but Max didn't worry about it. Once Chloe got to New York, things would be better. Bending over, Max dipped her head as low as she could until her forehead pressed into Chloe's. Stella just so happened to look up into the rearview mirror and see the girls give each other the dreamiest smiles.

It surprised Stella, and confused her. Max acting girly, and fluffy was one thing. But Chloe Price? The cold stone killer of New York? The CIA's best agent across the country of the United States… was falling into a puddle of mush, and going soft. Stella’s jaw dropped an inch hearing Chloe whisper Max's name with fondness and care and didn't miss the way they closed their eyes and sighed in bliss. Stella gripped the steering wheel and nearly lost it when Chloe, who was severely wounded, twisted her arm up, and around Max’s neck and pressed Max even closer to her face and whispered in French,

“ _Je pense que je t'aime_ , Max. As a friend of course, but… _more._ Like a soulmate."

Max grinned. “I feel the same way. It’s crazy, but I think I love you as a friend too. A  _best_  friend, and we haven't even… known each other that long. I'm okay with that, but we didn’t even go through all the friendship steps. Is that… allowed?"

Chloe leaned in, and pressed her cheek against Max's cheek, and gave her a fond nuzzle. “Screw the rules. It’s okay. Rachel, and I were the same way when we first met.”

Max gently prodded Chloe back then raised her head just slightly. No sooner after she did this, Chloe cautiously eased up onto her elbows and snuggled up in Max's chin, openly wanting to stay closer to her. Max’s eyes fluttered shut, and the sigh of satisfaction that came from both girls made Stella stare wide-eyed, and jaw open in disbelief.

 _What. On. Earth. Is. Happening here?_ At that precise moment, Stella's comset in her ear gently pinged. She blinked, and jerked her eyes of what was going on in the backseat of her car, and let out a soft exhale. Whoever was calling her, she took the opportunity to distract herself.

"Yes? This is Agent Hill."

" _Agent Hill, I know you said you would contact me and give me an updated report but I… I'm worried. I'm not contacting you as the President of the CIA, I'm contacting you as a friend. Is Agent Price-"_

"Oh. She's good. She's doing so good Madam President, I don't think you have any reason to worry about Agent Price's recovery."

Rachel looked at her monitor screen, and tilted her head to the side, dumbfounded at Stella's response.

" _What makes you say that?"_

Stella shrugged, and shook her head, unsure if she could bare to tell Rachel the new truth about Chloe’s reality.

"Well. Before I answer that, tell me, Madam President. Have you ever known Agent Price to show emotion outside of certain rings, such as yourself?"

_“No.”_

“Have you ever heard her laugh or smile, during work or outside of work?"

“ _No, not really. It takes me forever to get her to open up, even when we’re alone, and off the clock.”_

“Have you ever seen her look remotely happy? Glad to be alive?”

_“Never. She frowns all the time and has a scowl that makes grown men cry.”_

Stella bobbed her head in agreement. “Right? It’s just Agent Price’s way. That’s how we’ve known her since we all first met. So, um… how would you feel if someone just managed to make our efforts look like child’s play, and own Agent Price, better than  _you?_ ”

Rachel stiffened at the thought of such a thing. Leaning forward, she crossed her arms on top of her desk and her voice dropped and octave. _“That’s impossible. Everyone knows that Chloe and I are best friends with amazing chemistry. Only I can make her smile, laugh and open up. Agent Hill, you know this so why are you-”_

“When they arrive, you’ll find out why I've said this to you. Until then, I suggest you prepare yourself.”

Rachel blinked, frowned then sighed softly under her breath, unsure of what to think of Stella's warning. _“Humor me Agent Hill. Why should I?”_

“Because the Chloe who you know, love and seem to be the only one capable of affecting, isn’t the Chloe of the present, as of this moment.”

_“What are you saying?”_

Stella stole one last glance at the rearview mirror, and caught Chloe playfully rubbing the tip of her nose against Max's nose. Max giggled softly, and she happily returned the gesture. Stella pursed her lips together, and softly remarked back to Rachel, “I’m saying, you have some major, _serious_ competition.”

Stella bid her boss farewell and cut communication and for the rest of the ride to the drop of point, couldn't help but meditate on what she had just confessed to Rachel. Someone else had managed to affect Chloe in the most personal, loving way possible and from the looks of things, Chloe was going to be alright with getting scolded for acting unprofessional with her target. But something told Stella, Chloe would be more than willing to do whatever it took, to keep her target close and  _that_  actually scared Stella. Chloe not caring and being a killer was one thing. Chloe having a weakness? That’s the kind of stuff in Stella’s opinion, that gets a person killed. She kept these thoughts to herself and when the two girls in the back fell asleep, Max's head was rested against the window and Chloe was happily nestled across Max's lap with a small, pleased smile on her face. Stella took note of that too and was going to make sure to tell Rachel everything about how one mere girl… managed to change Chloe's entire life, like it was nothing.


	4. Episode 4: Her Weakness

****Time:****  4:00 AM

 ** **Location:****  Chicago, Illinois -- Chinatown (Faith's Safe House)

* * *

 

Chloe wasn't sure how long she had been sleeping. What she did know, was her surroundings kept changing every so often. This told her she was still being transported. Which was good. Had the flow of being moved ceased and the voices stopped talking, Chloe would have forced herself to wake up and possibly fight for her life. Chloe also understood she was being transported specifically back to New York and she knew she was dying from a nasty gash wound her enemy gave her. Or… was she? Ever since Max used her time power, Chloe's hour of death was paused. However long the power was active, Chloe couldn't say and Max couldn't tell her. Either way, she was grateful to Max for saving her. Among other things. Things that Chloe wasn't sure how she was going to tell her co-workers about. Just thinking about trying to explain her relationship with Max made Chloe's stomach churn. Thinking about Rachel's reaction to Max was a whole other level of uncertainty. Chloe wasn't sure when they'd arrive in New York and she didn't care. She was exhausted and took advantage of being in an ally's home. Rolling her head to the side, Chloe snuggled into what she thought was a pillow. It was Max's lap but Chloe was so tired, she couldn't find it in herself to open her eyes and find out. She felt herself drift off and gentle, delicate fingers play with her hair. It soothed her and helped coax her back to sleep.

"She's been sleeping for a long time. She must really trust you, Golden Hour." Icarus muttered, coming into the lounge area where Max was nestled on the couch with Chloe. Max glanced up and assessed the Runner approaching her. He wore a very sharp, nicely fitted jumpsuit that had red seams on the flaps of the jacket and on his elbow length gloves. His undershirt was a lighter shade of black then the jumpsuit itself and his shades were coated in nice hazel sheen and had the right amount of transparency that allowed Max to see his brown eyes. Max took in his stride and quickly found something else to look at in the room. The CIA Agent's of Chicago, also known as, Runners, impressed Max but also intimidated her. So far, everyone who she and Chloe had been passed off to wore expensive looking clothes and had gadgets that Max couldn't comprehend. Guns, knifes, grenades? Sure. They were fine. Some of the CIA's agents however, had extra weapons they either custom built or ordered from overseas. Icarus was wearing a grappling hook glove on his left arm over his glove. It was pretty to look at but Max didn't care for it. She had seen how Icarus used it when taking her up to the top floor of the Safe House and she had been terrified of it ever since. Faith, the owner of the Safe House and the main source of contact for the CIA branch in New York, gently carried Chloe from Stella's car into the Safe House and all the way up to the floor she and Max would be staying at until Faith was ready to lead them out of Chicago.

"I really wish you all would stop referring to me as that."

Icarus sat on a what appeared to be a red rectangle block that Max at first, thought was for decor purposes. It was actually a lounge seat of sorts. In fact, most of the super advanced interior of the Safe House was more user friendly than their appearances let on.

Smirking at his guest, Icarus leaned over and tilted his head to the side and studied the smaller teen thoughtfully. "And I wish you would get it through your ignorant adolescent skull that us agents are bound by strict policies when transporting targets, victims, contacts and everything else that is labeled a-" Icarus made quotes with his fingers and made sure to put extra emphasis on the next word. " _Outsider_."

Max felt a pang of rejection spread in her chest and had to force herself not to get emotionally upset like she usually does when someone talks down to her and makes her feel worthless and unworthy of their approval.

"Easy, Icarus. You're a Mutagen too, just like me, and the other Runners. You better chill out before I beat you senseless. Also, you weren't that much older than Golden Hour when you joined the CIA. She's eighteen, you were seventeen."

Icarus and Max turned their heads and watched as Faith Connors smoothly sauntered into the room. She went to stand beside Icarus and he hopped off the red rectangle to stand at attention, wanting to show her respect. Faith was a little shorter than Icarus and unlike Icarus, Chloe and Max, Faith was Asian. A stunning Asian with short chopped hair that combed over to the side of her face and long, beautiful eyelashes. She had two tattoos on her body. One tattoo was like eyeliner that had two slit lines. One trailing down under the eyelid and the other trailing at the edge of the eyelid. The other tattoo was odd and imprinted on Faith's left arm. It was digital based, coded and made a unique design that Max couldn't help but wonder if it meant something. So far, all the Runners Max had witnessed coming and going through the Safe House had similar tattoos like the one on Faith's left arm. Max never asked a Runner what the markings meant. She didn't want to look stupid or offend them with her nosy questions so she kept quiet and clung to Chloe.

Faith's outfit was lighter than some of the Runners. She had a dark black undershirt under a slightly less dark jacket. Similar to Icarus's jacket, it had red seams on the flaps and her lower bottoms were white with black stripes running down the sides of the pants. She had an elbow brace on her left arm as well as a red glove. Under the red glove was her grappling hook. A gift from Icarus but her model wasn't nearly as long or thick. She didn't have another red matching glove and prepared to only use one glove. Her jacket was sleeveless, exposing her lean, toned arms and despite being as thin as Max, Max was convinced Faith could snap her in half in a fight. Size was clearly not the strong point in the CIA. It was skill and Max had none whatsoever. Unless the CIA was taking applications for photography, she was completely powerless and vulnerable and something told Max all the CIA Agents she had met up to this point knew that.

"Yes Ma'am. I'm sorry for speaking out of line. It won't happen again." Icarus's tone was much more serious and less sarcastic.

Max couldn't help but smile a little bit and found Icarus's shift in personality amusing. Faith didn't look much older than Icarus. Max guessed they were in the early twenties. It wouldn't surprise her if they were still teenagers. So far, most of the CIA agents she had met we all around her age range.

"Hey Faith. The CEO of the New York branch is on the line asking for you."

Max glanced up to see yet another female Runner come onto the scene. This one was very beautiful and just as athletically toned like Icarus and Faith. She didn't have a jumpsuit uniform but she wore something very similar. Her v-neck shirt was red, and the belt through the loop of her dark blue jeans were red too. On each wrist, the blonde Runner had glove gauntlets with straps. She didn’t look nearly as aggressive with her attire but Max thought that was exactly what the Runner would want people to assume in a fight. Faith turned to the blonde Runner and gave her a kind smile.

"Hey Cel. What does the renowned Rachel Amber want to talk to me for? Their Chief already contacted me earlier, explaining what I needed to do, and where to take Agent Price with Golden Hour tonight. You sure it's their CEO, and not a hoax of the enemy?"

Cel shook her head, put her hands on her hips and had an intense expression on her face. “Positive. She knew the password and passed all the decoy tests. Only a true CEO would know her Mutagen power, right?”

The eyeliner round Cel's eyes only seemed to enhance her ferocity in Max's opinion. Feeling Max's stare, Cel slowly turned her head in Max's direction, arched a thin eyebrow and shot the other teen a warning look. Max swallowed the lump in her throat and immediately hunched back in fear.

Faith caught onto what Cel did to Max and gently slapped her upside the head. Cel jerked and stared at Faith with wide eyes. "Leave the target alone, Cel. I just got onto Icarus for being a jerk to her. I don't need you adding to the mix right now. Okay?"

Cel nodded a little and couldn't help but grin at Faith. Suspicious of her intentions Faith rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"What Cel? What is it?"

"Nothing. It's just-" Cel hesitated, not sure if she should mention the name of the man who was no longer with them and Faith's weakness. Leaning in, Cel cupped Faith's shoulder and softly replied, "You sounded like Noah just now. That's all."

In the past, Faith would stiffen and have to force herself to keep it together. Now, she had peace about Noah's passing and could hear his name without getting all tore up on the inside. "Thanks. I think?" Faith turned to Icarus. "I have to go look into this. You two." Faith used two fingers and thrust them at Max. "Watch Golden Hour and Agent Price, guard them with your lives until I get back."

"Yes Ma'am!" Icarus and Cel proclaimed, saluting Faith. Faith smiled a little at her friends and genuinely wondered as she walked out of the room and to her office if she would ever get used to such formalities.

"Could I get a glass of water?" Max asked, breaking the good vibes the Runners had going.

Drawing in a breath at the same time, Icarus and Cel shared mutual glance of irony then curved their necks in the direction of their guest. They set their steel gaze on Max and waited to see which one of them was going to go first.

"I'll get it. Stay here with them Icarus."

Icarus threw his arms up in frustration, hating how every time one of them waited to see who would make a move Cel always managed to sneak off. "Fine. I'll sit here with the weakling until our fearless leader comes back." He huffed, facing Max and moodily walking over to sit down beside of her. Max tensed and whimpered at his approaching footsteps.

She didn't mean to, Icarus was just had a really dominating personality and it showed in his body language. Icarus would have sat down and crossed his arms like a good Runner but didn't get the chance. The very second Chloe heard Max whimper, her eyes snapped open and just as Icarus stepped around the glass coffee table, Chloe shot off Max's lap and brutally tackled Icarus to the floor. Stella didn't think to pat her down or search her body. That worked out in Chloe's favor because the next thing Icarus knew, the barrel of Chloe's 9mm was being roughly shoved into the base of his skull. Icarus eyes widened behind his shades and remained like that, even after Chloe reached own and took his glasses off and tossed them carelessly to the side.

"Agent Icarus, was it?" Chloe spoke softly and her voice was still coated with sleep. It completely countered the aggression she had for the younger man and that was okay. Chloe liked it when she didn't come across as a killer and could sound natural with her voice. It gave the element of surprise better meaning later on when she did something to show her opponent she meant business. Like now. Chloe didn't know the CIA agents in Chicago very well. Just the basics from a distance. A long distance. Tilting her head slowly to the right, Chloe applied more pressure and shoved the end of the barrel further into Icarus skin. He grunted and tried to pull away out from under the metal but Chloe stopped him. She cupped his face and forced it to be still and all at once, two of her finger grazed down the side of his neck in a pattern that Icarus recognized all to well. He knew the start of a pressure point jab and he also could tell by the way Chloe's fingertips were tracing around a certain spot, that she was going for air circulation. Icarus stopped struggling, laid there and found himself gazing up at Chloe with a hint of admiration.

"You gonna kill me in my own home, Agent Price? That's not very polite of you."

"Says the one who made Max shrivel up in fear?"

Icarus grinned, finding Chloe's lack of protocol amusing. Thinking she was just joking around he humored her and added on, "You mean Golden Hour?"

Chloe's tired eyes narrowed on the spot and without warning, she thrust the barrel of the gun off Icaru's forehead and shot his shades behind her. Max let out a startled cry and covered her ears and Cel came running into the room, scared that it was the enemy. When she saw that it was just Icarus biting off more than she could chew, she leaned her shoulder into the door frame, tucked her ankle behind the other and decided to wait and see what Chloe was going to do to him. Icarus's jaw dropped at the sight of seeing his expensive pair of glasses get destroyed by a bullet. All that was left was the base and even that was broken up into little pieces.

Stunned that Chloe would open fire in a quiet, stealth area, Icarus yelled at Chloe, forgetting who he was dealing with and Chloe let him get his tantrum out of his system, unaffected by his heated backlash. Cel, who was technically a higher agent in authority could have stopped Chloe and Icarus for that matter but she kept watching, much to Icarus' disgust and was enjoying herself. " _Are you crazy?!_ " Icarus roared at the girl on top of him, shooting her daggers.

Chloe shrugged, unconcerned if she had just endangered the Runner's haven or possibly alerted nearby lurking enemies. Since Chloe refused to answer his question, he whipped his head to the side and saw Cel who was shaking from holding in her laughter so much.

He flushed, embarrassed and angry all in the same breath. " _Is she crazy?!_  Why would you let her do that Cel?!"

"Because she knows I can kick your-"

Chloe stopped herself, blinked once, glanced over her shoulder at Max and studied her for a short moment. Max had uncovered her ears and was watching Chloe's actions very closely. Chloe didn't want to be filthy with her mouth. Not if Max was in the room. Looking back down at Icarus, Chloe brought the barrel of the gun back to Icarus's forehead and quietly admitted, "I seem to have an audience that is still untainted by the filthy ways of the mouth so… for her sake. Cel isn't doing anything because she knows that I'm the stronger fighter and could floor you any day, even wounded like this. Does that answer the question?"

"Get off me, Agent Price." Icarus growled, making sure to use some bite in his tone.

"Not until-" With her free hand, Chloe hiked her thumb over her shoulder. "You apologize to Max and address her by her first name."

Cel and Icarus blinked, arched eyebrows in surprise and exchanged a shocked glanced before they both stared at Chloe in astonishment.

"Did you wake up-" Icarus began, squinting one eye and pointing a finger up at Chloe.

"Just to tell him that because you were actually bothered by him obeying rules?" Cel finished, easing off the door frame. Keeping her back to Cel, her knees firmly pressed into Icarus's sides and the barrel of the gun in Icarus's forehead, Chloe nodded simply at the questions. Cel ran a hand through her hair, looked off and stared off into the distance of the Safe House. "Oh… I see. Well, Icarus perhaps overlooking the rules this once won't be too bad?"

"Sure thing, Agent Price. All right then. Can I please get up so I can go sit by Max?" That must have been the magic word because Chloe hopped off Icarus and returned to her resting position on the couch with Max.

She put her gun away, laid down and rested her head comfortably on Max's lap. She tucked her hand under her chin then put her chin over the hand. Chloe used her finger tips to clutch at the fabric on Max's jeans, like a car would do. Max looked down and gently began to run her hand up and down Chloe's back. When she grew tired of doing that, Max petted Chloe on the head and ran her fingers all throughout her messy mane of blue hair. Icarus got up, dusted himself off and went to go stand by Cel. He was confused and didn't understand why the legendary Agent Price was acting so weird. He wanted to be offended and stay mad since his poor shades just got destroyed. Knowing the reason why, nicely killed the mood and together with Cel, the Runners stared after Chloe with unsure expressions on their faces. Cel was holding Max's water in her hand but couldn't bring herself to go over and give it to her. Like Icarus, Cel was stuck on Chloe's reason for waking up. Someone in her condition should take it easy, remain asleep as long as possible but Chloe pushed through any discomfort she had, just to ensure Max's comfort.

"Are you gonna talk to her about this?"

Icarus asked, gesturing awkwardly at Chloe on the couch.

"You saw that just now, right? Right?"

Cel pressed her lips tightly together, wishing she hadn't.

"Uhh… yeah. I saw it. I mean, I heard terror stories about what Agent Price did to her enemies and how serious she was with all her cases consistently over the years. The kid's perfect agent material, flawless at almost everything she does and follows through with the job description to a T. I don't know who and what that is on the couch, but it's not the Agent Price we've worked with in the past or heard so much about."

Icarus crossed his arms and nodded gently in agreement.

"That's for sure."

Chloe wasn't deaf. She was wounded and weak. She heard their "concerned" mumbling but choose to ignore them and not get upset over it. It wasn't like she asked for whatever it was making her behave all lovey dovey around Max and jump at the slightest movement of a threat. It was the same for Rachel but Max was not Rachel and even Chloe acknowledged her behavior was slightly different but not in bad way. Just enough to make the killer blood in her soften.

"You didn't have to do that Chloe. I would have gotten over it."

"Mmm… sure you would."

Chloe's eyes finally fluttered shut feeling Max play with her hair and she let out a long winded sigh and allowed herself to lower her defenses while she prepared to relax again.

"The bigger question is-"

Chloe carefully rolled herself onto her back, adjusted her head on Max's lap then cutely reached up to cup Max's face with both hands. She spreads her fingers across Max's freckled face and the smooth motion Max felt from Chloe's fingers made Max grin. Chloe mirrored the grin and she pulled Max's face closer to hers.

"How could I not say something? You're not…"

Chloe trailed off and her sleepy, slanted eyes darted all over Max's face as she struggled to think of an answer to give the other teen.

"You're not just a paycheck, an assignment or a number. You're a human being with special gifts and sometimes, I think the agencies forget that. I've decided, for better or for worse, I'm not gonna think like that anymore."

"You mean that?"

Max whispered, leaning into Chloe's touch.

"Heh. Yeah. I mean it."

Chloe gave Max light kiss on the cheek then brushed her lips over the spot she kissed, hoping it would tickle Max. It worked and hearing Max laugh made Chloe grin again and both girls were completely oblivious to how Cel and Icarus slapped their foreheads in utter shock the background.

"You should get some rest Chloe. We still have a ways to go before we reach New York."

"Only if you rest with me Caulfield. Wanna cuddle?"

Max blushed from happiness and was starting to think being cherished by Chloe wasn't going to be so bad after all. Minding her stomach, Chloe sat up and gently rubbed the tip of her nose against Max's and both girls giggled at their silliness. Icarus's jaw fell open in motion with Cel's and for the longest time, they just stood there and kept their distance.

"Did she just?!" Icarus softly exclaimed, finally getting his voice back. "Dude, yeah she did. Agent Price just did all of that and didn't care! Cel, what is happening?!"

He gestured with both his at the scene before him and his co-worker. Sighing, Cel just shook her head in disbelief and took a large gulp from the glass of water. Max's water. The way Cel saw it, she needed it more than Max at the moment.

"Exactly what Agent Hill warned us out in those text messages. She said that they had some weird established companionship that would shake us. Guess this was it."

"All right. I finished my call. How's our guests doing?"

Hearing their leader ask the question, Icarus and Cel turned around and gladly stepped off to the side so she could enter through the doorway. They gestured politely with their arms then jerked their heads at the girls cuddling on the couch.

"See for yourself, Faith." Cel muttered, dropping her arm.

"This is the "danger" Agent Hill was talking about."

Faith stepped forward and saw first hand, for herself what kind of "danger" everyone had been warning her about. She squinted her eyes and the look on her face hardened a little bit. "Well. This certainly is… different."

"Make them stop." Icarus was partly joking but another part of him did want it stop. Not because Chloe and Max's affection was wrong, but because it was against the rules.

Faith shook her head. "This is a Safe House, off the grid for a reason. This might just be the only place they can act like that. Because once they get to New York… I don't know how their people are going to take this or if CEO Amber will allow it period. The New York branch is a stickler for keeping things by the book, you know? We're not like them, we're more open and laid back so I suggest, we leave them alone and just tend to their needs. They're getting shipped out in two hours, so don't sweat it." Faith turned around to leave and go back to her office but Icarus and Cel whipped around, stared after her and demanded and explanation.

"Whoa. Whoa. That's not what we were told. I thought the Chief said you were going to transport them out of Chicago tonight, remember?" Cel nodded, seconding Icarus's complaint. "What's the head office thinking? They're being tracked, that much Agent Hill could confirm. Flying them out is way too risky right now."

"Look you two." Faith turned around and put her hand on her hips. "I didn't have any control over this decision. They're leaving in two hours and will be flying to their next drop off point."

The two offended Runners shared a knowing look then glowered at their leader.

"With who?" They asked together and crossed their arms, both curious to learn the answer. Faith lowered her voice so only they could hear her.

"CEO Amber herself, is headed this way in the helicopter and she will be accompanying them to New York. But they're not to know this until she gets here."

Cel opened her mouth and started to say something relating to the change in orders again when she felt Icarus shake her shoulder. Annoyed, she snapped her head over at him and arched an eyebrow. "What is it Icarus?"

"Where did Agent Price and Golden Hour go? Weren't they just here?"

At that, Faith and Cel whirled around and hurried into the middle of the room. They scanned the premises but could not find any trace of either girl. Bothered that they were missing, Faith pointed behind her and barked her orders to the Runners.

"They couldn't have gotten too far. Agent Price is wounded and Golden Hour sticks out like a sore thumb. We have two hours to find them and debrief them prior to CEO Amber's arrival. Cel, you go check the south chamber and inform all the Runners to be on high alert."

Cel gave Faith a thumbs up and took off running. Her Mutagen gene of course, enhanced her speed so she sped off in a blink of an eye, leaving Icarus to Faith.

"Icarus."

"Yeah?"

"Just go do your thing and try to stay outta my way this time?"

Icarus smashed his fists together and grinned at Faith, practically daring her to defy his skill to his face. "Shouldn't I be saying that to you?"

Faith smirked just slightly and reached out to shove him gently.  "Just get a move on. We need to find them. And fast. Preferably before CEO Amber gets here."

Icarus raised his arms as he started to walk backwards. "And that's why we're the Runners and the other CIA agents are just normal drags."

Faith rolled her eyes and faced the door frame. She took off running and her Mutagen gene activated, allowing her breeze down the hallway and to the end of it where a window was cracked open just enough to step through. She rushed through it and jumped down the zip line that would lead her into the inner city below.

 

While the Runners frantically ran around the area, both inside and out trying to find Chloe and Max, Chloe was busily making a nest for her and Max to rest in, right in the heart of a unused communication room. Max stood by locked door and waited patiently for Chloe to finish. "This room is nice. So, why are we chilling here instead of the guest rooms Faith had reserved for us?"

Chloe didn't answer. She just kept setting things up. Max didn't take offense and continued to watch Chloe pull out a bed from the wall. It rolled down and the sheets on it were fresh, warm and had previously been made by the hands of a Runner Chloe secretly paid to keep under wraps from Faith. This Runner also kept the room tidy and Chloe was pleased to know, that it was in the same shape she found it two years ago. It was the only room in the Safe House Faith and the other Runners hadn't found or claimed. It was also the only room Chloe felt safe enough in to lower her defenses completely without the worry of getting jumped by the enemy.

Chloe took off her jacket and the tank top Stella had let her use. The communication room they were in wasn't terribly over heated but it was a little warm and with the lack of windows, the only thing available was the AC hole in the wall above them that provided relief. Problem was, the AC was broken and the Runner who took care of the communication room pinned a note to the billboard by the terminal station, explaining that. Chloe read the note when they first came in and afterwards understood why there was a fan by the far wall.

"Does this bother you?" Chloe asked, no longer hiding the weariness in her voice. She sighed and ran a hand past her face and into her hair, frustrated at herself for being unable to feel stronger.

"Does what bother me?"

"Me sleeping in bra. I know we're girls, and all, but I felt the need to ask. I don't know what your triggers are Max. Not when it comes to those sorts of things. If it bothers you, hot or not, I will put my tank top back on."

Max shook her head and crawled onto the bed. "No. It doesn't bother me. Now if you try to make a move on me… I'd be bothered. But that doesn't really have anything to do with your shirt being on or off, now does it?"

Chloe went over to the fan, put it on its highest level then set the fan head to never turn. She shifted the stand of the fan in their direction and welcomed the cool gush of wind hitting her burning skin. "Good to know. I appreciate honesty."

Max waited for Chloe to carefully ease herself down onto the bed then she scooted closer and snuggled in behind her. "Do you want me to change your bandage?"

Max figured Chloe was fine and didn't need her bandage changed where she hadn't been bleeding. After Max had frozen the wound, there had been no movement in that part of Chloe's body. Max hoped she didn't screw anything up for Chloe but at least Chloe was alive, right?

"A-Actually." Chloe whispered, sitting up on her elbows and glancing down at the bandage.

"Could you? I'd like that."

"What?" Max wasn't expecting Chloe to say yes.

"Would you change it? I'd do it myself but after exerting myself with Icarus, my body is unhappy with me."

"Umm. Sure Chloe. I can do that for you. Hold on. Let me get the supply bag Agent Hill gave us." Max got up off the bed and went to gather up the supplies out of the bag. Chloe tilted her head back and shut her eyes. Max heard her breathing quicken and how her breathing became heavier. Max didn't try to distract herself with worry and just went ahead with changing the bandage. To Max's shock, the blood wouldn't come off. She used the alcohol rubbing pad and applied just the right amount of pressure to get the blood to come off but it refused to budge. Max could smell the blood just fine and it felt like normal, sticky, dried blood but it just wouldn't leave Chloe's skin. Then it dawned on Max why she couldn't clean Chloe's wound. "Oh no…" She breathed, moving the alcohol pad away from Chloe's stomach.

"What's wrong?" Chloe asked between short intakes of air.

"Well… it's not coming off and I think I know why. Remember when I froze your wound?"

Chloe's body felt heavy and she was forced to lay down. Tipping her head back into the pillows, she took a few deeper breaths then shut her mouth and tried to control her ragged breathing. "Yes. What about it?"

Max slumped her shoulders in defeat. "When I froze your wound, I stopped the blood and I'm thinking, whatever else was wrong. You still feel pain, you're still hurt but anything that was coming out of you or moving around inside of you, I just… froze it in time. It's still there, like the blood here. It's there but it's frozen in time. Changing your bandage is useless unless I unfreeze your wound and if I do that-"

"I die?" Chloe weakly lifted her head up off the pillows and met Max's eyes with her own.

"I… I…" Max didn't want to answer that but what choice did she have? Chloe wanted to know and as much as she didn't want to admit it, Max knew her power had only delayed the inevitable for her friend. Lowering her gaze back to the bandage, Max softly admitted, "Yes. I believe you will die. The only way I'd unfreeze it, is when you're on the way to some kind of hospital and in an ER."

"Sucks that you couldn't freeze the pain, huh? Eh, don't sweat it. I've been in worse pain than this."

Max raised an eyebrow and parted her mouth and the look she gave Chloe was one of devastation. She knew Chloe was telling her the truth but it didn't make Max feel better about the situation. She broke out into tears, startling Chloe so bad, Chloe flinched on the bed. "Whoa. Hey, come on now. Don't cry." Chloe reached out and cupped Max's face with both hands. She used her thumbs to brush the tears away and offered Max a sleepy smile.

"I'm not mad at you. You did everything you could to save me. I'm exceedingly grateful to you, Max."

Max sniffed and found herself leaning forward into Chloe's touch. Lifting her hands, she wrapped her fingers around Chloe's wrists and squeezed them, unable to do anything else.

"Would you like me to express my gratitude to you, Max?"

The question was so soft, Max had to strain her ears to hear it. With her breathing under control and her strength slowly building back up, Chloe wanted to do something she hadn't done in a long time. She wanted to play. It would help take the edge off for both of them, she was convinced of it. "S-Sure. I think I'd like that." Max whispered back, flickering her eyes up at Chloe's amused ones.

"When I was growing up, I liked to cuddle when I felt sick or was in good mood. You're lucky I happen to be both." Chloe let Max's face go but Max kept a firm grip around Chloe's wrists. "Well. Someone's clingy." Chloe gasped when she was tackled down to the bed by Max. Minding Chloe's wound, Max positioned herself across Chloe in a way that wouldn't interfere with her bandage. She slid her arms around Chloe's neck and hid her face in Chloe's hair. Her tears soaked the inside of Chloe's neck and her muffled sobs were the only thing filling the medium space for the longest time. Chloe held Max and did nothing to stop her. She ran her hands up and down Max's back and kissed the side of her head when the urge struck her. When Max's sobs had quieted to soft-like hiccups, Chloe carefully rolled them over onto their sides. She still wanted to play but Max was an emotional wreck so playtime would just have to wait. She was fine with just laying still and cuddling on the bed.

"C'mere."

"Right now?" Max asked, glancing up at her.

Chloe chuckled. "Yes now."

Max snuggled closer to Chloe. "Okay. Is this good?"

Chloe waited until there was hardly any space between them and protectively slid her arm across Max's waist. She curled into her and started to nuzzle her. Max smiled and was comforted by it in more ways than Chloe realized. "I'm going to be just fine. You'll see."

"What if my power fails and wears off while we're sleeping? What if we don't make it to New York in time? What if-" Max closed her mouth feeling Chloe's finger press against her lips.

"What if you're over thinking all of this, and it's out of our control? Now let me love you and try to enjoy yourself while we're here, safe and free of goons trying to sabotage our lives?"

That got a small laugh out of Max. "Okay. Okay. Now… what was this about you loving me and me enjoying myself?"

Chloe grinned. "Lemme show you. Rachel, and I used to do this all the time when got scared or didn't feel well."

Chloe lowered her head and started to kiss Max all over her face. Eyelids, cheeks, forehead and nuzzle her all at once. Max kept her eyes shut and embraced Chloe harder. Chloe got so wrapped up in giving Max attention, time went by quickly but neither teen noticed.

"Do you, and the President have what you and I have, Chloe?" Max was on top of Chloe completely now, but only because Chloe assured her it would be all right.

"Why do you wish to know about what goes on between me the President, Max? Hmm?" Chloe raised a hand and began to stroke Max lovingly on the head. Max inched her head up into the palm of Chloe's hand and inclined more of her hair to be petted.

"Because." Came the simple response.

"Be… cause?" Chloe hesitantly echoed, squinting her eyes up at the ceiling. "You literally have no other reason?"

Chloe felt Max shake her head no. Max blinked hearing the sound of laughter rumble in Chloe's chest. She raised her head a little so she could watch Chloe laugh. In all the time she had known Chloe, Max had never seen her laugh. Her laughter was infectious and lovely and Max smiled a little, somehow knowing that it was an honor to hear laughter erupt from Chloe Price's mouth.

"You mean the close companionship that enables us to do these sorts of things? Chee-ya. And it's wonderful. I love her. Very much and would lay down my life for her. You too and my mother and anyone else I am obligated to protect."

Max closed her eyes and rested the side of her face on Chloe's chest. She listened to the thud-thud of Chloe's heartbeat, amazed at how powerful it sounded in her ear. "Your heartbeat is scary strong."

Chloe laughed again and it made her heartbeat ring even louder. Max loved it. She wasn't sure why, but she liked it. "Stop it, Caulfield. I'm not the laughing type so quit it."

"You don't want me to stop, though. If you wanted this to stop, you wouldn't have gotten this close to me."

Chloe sobered and took Max's words into strides, rolling the concept around in her mind a few times. "You think so?"

"Yeah."

Silent fell over them like a sheet and for the longest time, neither girl said anything. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Max raised her face up off Chloe's chest. She felt refreshed and much better and wanted to talk more about Rachel. "Hey Chloe, what's Rachel li-" Max words died in her throat and she instantly grinned at Chloe.

Chloe had fallen asleep and her head was rolled to the side, comfortably stuffed in the fluff of her pillows. She was snoring but it was soft, barely even noticeable and her mouth was parted slightly and she had the most relaxed, content expression on her face. But that's not what made Max laugh out loud. It was the small drool line running from the corner of her mouth that Max found adorable. "Hmm. I suppose I'll find out eventually. I mean, we are going to New York. I'll just have to wait until then and see. But who would've thought that you, of all people, drool in your sleep, and snore?"

"She only does that when she's past the point of exhaustion. Although, while she was spying on you at Blackwell, she would call me sometimes and ask me to fall asleep with her on the phone when she had to go to a Vortex Club party and drink so she wouldn't look suspicious. She would snore then too, but that was because she was borderline drunk."

The intrusion of the soft, seductive voice spooked Max so bad, she let go of Chloe's face, sprung off her and rolled off the bed. Chloe jerked hearing Max land on the floor and cry out but she sadly remained impassive and fast asleep. "Ow. That hurt." Max rubbed the back of her head and heard footsteps approach her from behind. Rachel had come out from the shadows of the room and into the light.

Beside her was Nomad, the Runner Chloe had been paying under the table to keep quiet. Faith and the others had already been informed of Chloe's whereabouts so they returned to their duties and left Chloe and Max up to Rachel.

"I've found them, thank you for your service Nomad. You're dismissed."

Nomad felt awful about selling Chloe's secret out but it was either that or get slammed by Faith. How Rachel knew he was hiding something he didn't know but five minutes alone with her in a bathroom and he had all the supernatural power he could take. Fire and a ticked of female in search of her soulmate? Nomad wanted to live, and that's exactly why he agreed to talk. Rachel phased out of her fire, humanoid body and returned to normal and gave Nomad a cheeky smile. Nomad stared, amazed to find that her clothes were unharmed, didn't smell burned or were destroyed by the flames that had previous consumed Rachel's entire body.

"Yes, Madam President. Have a nice day." Nomad muttered, quickly turning around to leave the women to their business. Rachel waited for the door to hiss shut before raking her eyes from the bed where Chloe laid and down to the floor where Max was sitting up.

"So, you're the girl our client is going so crazy over and all of the mob bosses are fighting each other tooth and nail trying to get to you before he does. Funny. I thought you'd be taller. And have a better fashion sense."

Her words sounded cute but her tone suggested otherwise. Rachel was degrading Max and Max didn't know how to take the subtle attacks at her character so she just let them go, along with her dignity. Rachel didn't help Max up or so much as offer friendly concern when she clearly saw Max hit her head on the end table before landing face splat on the floor. Rachel stood there with her arms crossed, body posture slanted to the left and eyebrow cocked with an unimpressed look on her face. Max tipped her head back and her eyes traveled from the floor, up Rachel's body and kept going until their eyes met.

Max caught her breath and she found herself suddenly breathless at the stunning girl in a female business suit staring back at her.  _Wowser. Is this… who I think it is? If so, I feel **so**  underdressed right now._

"Um, hello? Earth to Golden Hour, anyone home?" Rachel asked, tilting her head in wonder.

This motion caused Rachel's hair to spill over her shoulder and Max saw that it was very long. She tore her gaze off Rachel's face and nervously stood up, attempting to center herself. "Sorry. You scared me. I didn't mean to be so clumsy. I hate to ask probably an obvious question, but who exactly are you?" Max moved her hand out and waited for Rachel to take it. Forcing a polite smile on her face, Rachel grasped Max's hand with surprisingly gentleness and shook her hand.

"Your ride out of Chicago, and the CEO of the New York CIA branch. My name is Rachel Amber but you are to address as Miss Amber or Madam President." Rachel's grip increased and Max almost winced from pain. "Do you understand that order Golden Hour or do I need to break it down for you? Agent Hill said you didn't mind all the rules so I want you to know around me, you will submit or there will be consequences."

Max quickly nodded and jerked her hand out of Rachel's iron hold. "Yes, Madam President."

Rachel nodded in approval, liking the feel of alpha dominance she already was having on Max. "Good. Now…" Rachel trialed off and walked over to the head of the bed where Chloe was resting. "Let's get Agent Price and you to New York, shall we?"

Max was sure Rachel meant to sound firm and quite serious, but her words just came out shaky and almost unsure.

"Idiot. I told you to come back to me and you almost got yourself killed over the target. That's not like you…" Rachel muttered, moving her hand out to brush the sweaty matted bangs out of Chloe's eyes.

The eyes were bruised but they weren't as swollen, that much Rachel could tell but it still upset her to see the damage linger. Max kept her distance and followed Rachel's gaze and she made an "O" shape with her mouth seeing Rachel's features soften. This whole time, Max was picturing Rachel as Chloe's weakness. It only made sense for it to be like that if they shared personal moments like she and Chloe were just now starting to do more of in their friendship. Max watched Rachel stroke Chloe's face and run her fingers through Chloe's hair. The more Rachel looked down at Chloe with such brokenness, the more Max realized that Rachel was not Chloe's weakness.

Chloe… was Rachel's weakness.


	5. Episode 5: Boundaries

**Time:**  7:00 AM

 **Location:**  Cleveland, Ohio

* * *

 

Max sat in the back of the CIA's personal helicopter, hands in her lap, nervously fiddling her thumbs. Every so often Max would shift around in her seat or sigh subtly under her breath. This behavior got under Rachel's skin and she wasn't sure why. Maybe it was because Max's presence in general bothered her. Or maybe it was because she had seen first hand for herself what Stella and the Runners were talking about? The Chloe Rachel knew would  _never_  have allowed her target to get so up close and personal. The thought of it would have sickened Chloe, as she was not the type to become sensitive to someone who she was trained to view professionally at all times. Chloe honored the company and their policies, that's why everyone liked Chloe as a agent on the field. To catch Chloe looking the way she did underneath Max and Max openly touching Chloe everywhere absolutely infatuated Rachel.

"I think she has to use the bathroom, Madam President."

Steph muttered, making sure to keep her eyes on the windshield as she carefully used her hands to navigate the cyclic stick in the direction of their destination. Rachel leaned back into the seat, crossed her arms and sighed. She wasn't surprised that Max would have to use the restroom after only being airborne for an hour. It was her first time in a helicopter after all and where she wasn't used to that kind of activity, her body was either exceptionally nervous or she simply had a weak bladder. Either way, Rachel saw Max as pathetic and an unnecessary tag-along. It was only because she was asked to be taken by Mark Jefferson and people were looking for her, why she wasn't being dismissed as a assignment. That and Rachel wanted to seriously find out why Mark Jefferson was so stuck on having Max. Sean Prescott Rachel had figured out a long time ago. He collected Mutagens and did one of two things with them. He had them confined as lab rats so he could study them or he wanted them for personal usage, such as soldiers for his secret operations overseas. Sean's purpose for wanting Max however, remained muddled in mystery. He made it very clear to Rachel, his nemesis, that he would stop at nothing to have Max  _unharmed_  and unmarked. For Sean, that was a big deal. He always took people and branded them with a signature barcode tattoo across the base of his/her necks. Rachel frowned thinking about her last talk with Sean. He was desperate and acting reckless and didn't seem to care how many of his people died in the process of getting to Max. Should this have come as a surprise to Rachel and the CIA? No. Did it make them cock their heads and question his objectivity? Yes it did.

"I wish he didn't have to be against us. He's actually quite charming when he wants to be and resourceful."

Steph raised an eyebrow at that remark, knowing full well who Rachel was referring to.

"Going soft over a Prescott, Madam President?"

Rachel chuckled softly and rolled her head to the opposite shoulder. She gave Steph a daring smile, one that suggested she knew more than she was letting on.

"Only the ones in my age range, Agent Gingridge."

Steph cringed and faked a gag, making Rachel laugh out loud.

"Don't even _joke_  about that. Nathan may be your age, but he's so out of your league. Not to mention rouge. He doesn't serve his father or seem interested in affiliating with any groups whatsoever."

Rachel's grin stretched and her eyes sparked with mischievousness.

"That's what makes him worthy of my attention."

Steph rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Stop. Just. Stop."

Rachel opened her mouth to say something else that she knew would make Steph want to hit her when Chloe groaned in her sleep. Everyone turned their head to look at her. Since the helicopter did not have rear view mirrors, Steph had to stretch her neck around her seat to inspect Chloe. Rachel unbuckled her seat bet and went to go check on Chloe for herself, unsatisfied with watching her from the front seat.

"She okay?"

Steph asked this of Rachel, not Max but it was Max who answered in place of Rachel.

"No. And it's my fault…"

Steph grimaced and snapped her head to the front, knowing what was about to come. Whether Max was trying to provoke Rachel's wrath or not, was unclear. Steph didn't think she was but that statement just now, was going to get Max in trouble and that's why she looked away. Steph wasn't a Mutagen but she had rearsched at the base what Mutagens could do. Rachel, was a wind and fire type Mutagen. Faith and the Runners, were speed Mutagens. She didn't know what Max was but whatever kind of blood she had humming in her veins, Steph hoped it would be able to withstand the heat from Rachel's mouth. Literally.

"So you _admit_ that it's your fault Agent Price is like this?"

Rachel asked, drawing closer to the cot bed Chloe was strapped down on. Max flinched in her seat and avoided making any eye contact with Rachel.

"Well… yes. She fought those Russians off so I could stay safe. But… I thought it was a agent's duty to protect their targets?"

Rachel had to force herself not to show any emotional attachment to Chloe while working but it was rough where she had a bias for Chloe's target and she normally never had to deal with assignments on the field. Rachel's expertise was phone communication, filing reports, keeping records and attending business meetings with the higher ups. She was licensed to go on field missions and didn't require a veteran to shadow her but Rachel really wasn't suited to work with the drama of the field. That's what insensitive cold hearted leath agents like Chloe were for.

"Until proven otherwise, you are considered a hindrance and depending on whether or not Agent Price recovers from this, you may be reassigned to another field agent."

Max snapped her head around and stared at Rachel. She felt angry, hurt, confused all at once and the unverving desire to slap Rachel. Never in her docile life, had Max ever wanted to smack another person, but Rachel's cold remark rubbed her all wrong and Max was bold enough to push her fears of Rachel aside to demand an answer.

"Why would I have to be reassigned to another agent?"

Rachel quietly gestured down at Chloe on the cot. Chloe stirred uncomfortably under the straps but didn't try to fight them. She remained asleep and for that, Rachel was grateful.

"Isn't it obvious? Agent Price is wounded and will need time to recover from her injury because of what you caused her to do."

Max arched her neck back in shock.

"Excuse me? Just what is  _that_  supposed to mean, Madam President? What exactly did I "cause" Agent Price to do that's so offensive to you people?"

Rachel narrowed her eyes in anger and in annoyance.

" _You. Got. Too. Close. To. Her_."

Rachel hit each word like it was a punching bag and Max scoffed in disagreement.

"She was pretending to be my friend in the beginning, I'm assuming. I mean, she was sent to watch over me right?"

Rachel stiffly nodded and her eyebrow raised, marking her irritation.

"Yes. That is correct. And it was supposed to  _stay_  like that until the mission was over. I don't know who think you are or what made you think you had the right to cause Agent Price to get distracted like this, but I assure you. When she comes out of the ER and she's able to hold a conversation, she  _will_  be reprimanded for her insubordination with you. She was behaving completely unprofessional and it almost cost her two things."

Rachel shot up one finger.

"Her career."

Rachel put up another finger.

"And her life and yours in general. And since you just admitted that she's hurt because of  _your_ meddling, I am justified to say these things to your face and to hers once she gets to feeling better."

Max felt her eyes sting and tried really hard not to cry in front of Rachel. She failed. She blinked and the tears came pouring down. Ironically, seeing Max cry only made Rachel feel powerful and it pleased her to see Max sorrowful over what she had done to Chloe.

"Why is loving her as my friend for  _real_ , wrong?"

Rachel opened her mouth and started to reply but Max hastily wiped her tears away and added,

"Why can't your agents enjoy their assignments? Why is Agent Price's genuine love for me offensive to guys? Why is her wanting to be my friend wrong? We haven't done anything to deserve this."

Rachel glanced down at Chloe. Her features softened, but only for a few seconds then she viciously flickered her eyes back over to Max.

"Stop coming at me with your feelings and twisting what I say. Think clearly, Golden Hour. I never said you all loving each other was  _wrong_. I _said_ Agent Price failed her mission when she started to love you for real instead of just viewing you as her job. A paycheck, if you will."

Max caught her breath and the painful swelling twist in her chest.

"Paycheck…?"

She whispered, feeling fresh hot tears run down her face.

_She's not taking this well. Blast it Price. Why did you have to get her so wound up?_

Rachel pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to find a softer way to explain the situation to Max.

"Okay. In our line of work, studies have shown when the agent starts to develop personal feelings for their target, platonically  _or_ sexually, it can dictate the outcome of the mission they're given. Why is that bad?"

Rachel faked her enthusiasm when she brought her hands together in a clap.

"I'm  _so_  glad you asked! Let me tell you the answer."

Rachel slowly squatted down to Max's level and Max watched her with untrusting eyes. Rachel picked up on it but overlooked it with ease. It was easy to do, because the person she was talking to hurt Chloe and that made being colder, so much more effective.

"It's dangerous and people can and will get hurt. Do not think ill of us, Golden Hour. We're people too, Mutagen or not. We're all human here and every human to my knowledge, has needs and desires. But for most of us, that is strictly reserved for off the clock. There is a time and place for all things Golden Hour. Your friendship-"

Rachel closed her mouth, remembering what she saw in the communication room at Faith's hideout. Clearing her throat, Rachel corrected herself.

"Or  _whatever_  it is you have with Agent Price, is not allowed during company time and has proven to be nothing but a distraction to you both."

"Um. It's called a companionship and it  _is_  a friendship. Something I thought you would understand, given with Agent's Price's praise of your alls relationship with each other. Have to say, you're not the person she made you out to be."

Rachel shook her head, hating how Max was thinking with her emotions and not with her logic.

"I don't expect an outsider to understand how this business works or how CIA agents are trained."

"Don't call her that… she's just a kid."

Hearing the soft, weak voice caught both the girls off guard. They looked over at the cot Chloe was laying on and stared at her.

"To be politically correct, we're  _all_  kids here."

Rachel glanced down at the floor as she mulled over what she had just said. Clenching her jaw, she snapped her head up and coldy interjected to her friend,

"And she's a weak person, too fragile to even be in our league and wouldn't last ten seconds on the field. Killing and fighting just isn't her nature but it was  _ours_  and we have important jobs to do for the CIA, Agent Price and as the CEO, it's my job to make sure all of my agents are fulfilling that. Don't lay there and tell me I should go easy on her because she's a child. You were a child when your father was killed. The enemy didn't spare your feelings, the enemy didn't care that your father had a family and you were being a kid. All they wanted was to hurt your family and they succeeded and he was _off_  the clock when that happened. You of all people, should know that what you're doing will have server setbacks! I mean, it's one thing when we're expecting it and we're working. It's another thing entirely when we're letting our guard down during a mission. If you love her, truly love her, you will cease this fantasy of being with her like that and let Golden Hour alone! You're risking her life and I'm really disturbed that I'm having to tell you and her these things when you should have been able to tell her yourself when you realized you guys were getting close."

Chloe's already half-open eyes fluttered closed involuntarily. She wanted to turn her head and look at them but she had no energy or stamina left. Everything she heard felt like kick in the gut. Lights burned her eyes, noises were magnified in her ears and the fracture Ivan gave her, on top of every other bruise and possibly, broken bone was screaming at her. At least Rachel had enough sense to do a quick exam in the helicopter and put her fractured arm in a sling and wrap her ribcage. Faith would have done this, had Chloe not refused the treatment. Faith respected Chloe's wishes but Rachel was not Faith. She was stricter and very serious about treating wounded agents and Chloe was no exception.

"Yes. I know this Madam President. But we matured due to bad circumstances and chose to grow up and fight with the adults. Max hasn't done this and I guarantee you she doesn't understand why you're being so insistent about this like I do. The most you could do, is be kind to Max and carefully explain to her why we can't… do these things."

"You mean  _Golden Hour?_ "

Rachel sharply inquired, crossing her arms and tipping her head at Max. Receiving the correction, Chloe's face twisted up in pain and she actually forced herself to open her eyes as far as she could then turn her head lazily in their direction. Max had her head bowed and tears were still running down her face. Chloe's heart lept in her throat at the sight of seeing Max look so sad and broken. Chloe knew she wasn't in the position to talk back to her superior but she tried to, yielding to the connection she had with Max rather then the submissions she was supposed to have for Rachel.

"Please don't make me do this. I… I want to call Max by her name."

Rachel squinted her eyes.

"And I want to slap sense into you but rules say I can't lay my hands inappropriately on my employees so you're lucky."

Chloe sighed but didn't say anymore. She didn't want to upset Rachel but she also didn't want to lose Max as a friend, either. Max was slain. She truly didn't think Chloe would defy the CEO, her boss and authority but she did and wasn't ashamed of her choice. All this did, was prove to Max that what Chloe told her at the Safe House in Chicago, was legit.

"Chloe. I don't want you to get in trouble."

Max managed to squeak out.

"Heh. Hippie please."

Chloe cracked one eye half-way open and to Rachel's further disgust, she watched Chloe look right at Max and smile.

"It's fine Max. I'm willing to accept whatever punishment the Chief or the CEO think I should have. But until I say so, I'm going to call you by your real name. If they want me to act more professional towards you, I can do that and to be honest, Max? I shouldn't have let things get carried away between us."

"Do you regret meeting me then?"

Max forgot that Steph and Rachel were also present and could hear everything they were saying. Possibly even having it recorded. Max didn't care. All she saw was Chloe and all Chloe saw was Max.

"No."

Chloe replied, her voice barely even there.

"Of course not. I am very happy I got assigned to you Max. But I need you to understand… that the CEO is just doing her job. Everything she told you is true and she has every reason to be cross with me. I just don't care. The CIA can shove it and go find someone else if they're going to try and reabilitate me or whatever. I'm thinking clearly, I know what I want and you are what I want in my life, at this time. If the CEO and CIA demote me, fire me, let them have it. They won't kill me because they know I'm one of the best agents in the nation. Not that they would murder me in cold blood, I'm not saying that. But I put in that way, so you would understand just how valuable I am to them alive. They won't leave me completely alone, even if they do let me go because I know too much and despite that he's dead, they respect my father too much to screw me over."

An awkward sheet of silence fell over the teens and for the longest time, no one moved or made a sound. When Steph finally got over the initial shock of what Chloe had said, she made a "O" shape with her mouth and an interesting expression formed on her face.

"Did she just-"

Steph started to say, but Rachel finished the sentence for her.

"Yes."

Rachel growled through clenched teeth, slotting her eyes at her beloved friend and official nemesis.

"Yes just said that. It's worse than Agent Stella and Agent Connors said. Agent Price, I hope you know what this means."

Chloe nodded and tipped her head back into the pillow. She let out a contented sigh and looked at peace with herself.

"If I wasn't prepared for the consequences, I wouldn't have defied you to your face, Madam President. I'm sorry but not sorry. At the most, I will refer to Max as Golden Hour when alone with you or the other agents from now on. But when I'm alone with her, I will call Max by her name. Deal?"

"I am not making a deal with someone, who was pretending to be a drug dealer, Agent Price. Since when do you strike bribes under the table with me?"

"Well it was worth a shot. Oh well. Doesn't change anything I've said."

Rachel rolled her eyes and didn't know what upset her more. Chloe refusing to submit or Chloe's confidence to  _not_ submit and face the consequences of her actions.

"I really didn't want to have this conversation here. Not like this and not with her in the room. I wanted to wait until you were out of surgery and recovered but you're being stubborn and I don't find it very becoming for someone of your class, Agent Price."

Chloe groaned as she tried to sit up and fight against her constraints. Alarmed, Rachel rose up from her kneeling position and went over to the cot. She reached down and gently forced Chloe to remain still.

"Don't do that. You need to rest."

"And you need to accept that I have made another friend outside of you, Madam President."

Rachel stiffened and her hands immediately fell away from Chloe's body. She stood there, stunned at what just came out of Chloe's mouth. Steph shook her head but couldn't stop herself from grinning.

"Agent Price. Thou  _art_ , the rebel of Arcadia Bay and the CIA. Guess you took your fake role to heart after all, huh?"

"Agent Gringridge,  _don't_  encourage her!"

Rachel barked over her shoulder at the pilot.

"She's delusional from her fever. Once she has surgery and is in familiar surroundings, I'm sure sense will surface again."

Steph chuckled and shot Rachel a cute, impish smile.

"I don't think her fever has anything to do with this but hey, that's just personal observation."

Max blushed, deeply flattered that Chloe cared for her so and wasn't backing down from her resolve on the matter. She lifted her head and stared at Chloe through blurry, watery eyes.

"I love you so much."

Max whispered, wishing she could unbuckle her seat belt and go sit beside Chloe in the other seat but knew that would be unwise. Rachel would just stop her anyway and tell her to go back to her original seat.

"Yeah? Hey Max. Do you know sign language?"

Max nodded.

"I studied a little bit of it. Why?"

Chloe grinned slightly then made the symbol in sign language for "I love you." with her fingers, since that was the only thing she could do without hurting herself. Max blushed again and her smiled through her tears and had completely forgot that she was mad at Rachel or the situation she was in. When Chloe did that sign with her fingers, her heart thudded in her chest and she melted, right there on the seat. Rachel glanced between their dreamy faces, saw the way they smiled fondly at each other then finally threw her arms up in frustration and blurted out,

" _Oh come on!_ "

Rachel face palmed and removed herself from the back. She. Was. Done. She couldn't handle them right now and needed to calm down before she stepped over a line. Rachel walked up front and sat back down in her seat. She sighed, crossed her leg over the other, and wagged her foot around impatiently.

"I will talk sense into her. Just you wait."

Steph laughed softly to herself hearing Rachel say that and didn't doubt that she would. Rachel was the competitive type and always got what she wanted. In the back, sniffing softly, Max used the back of her hand to wipe the tears away and found herself still smiling over at Chloe. Chloe had gone back to sleep but Max continued to gaze at her with admiration. Rachel caught it from the corner of her eye and just shook her head. One way or another, she would stop this crazy infatuation even if it meant hurting Chloe's feelings. It was for their own good and for their safety. But if that was true and Rachel was going to use that as her justification… why did she feel so hollow on the inside when Chloe told her she needed to accept Max and that Max made her happy? Separating them would for sure, anger Chloe and affect their relationship if and when Chloe linked the event back to Rachel. That was just risk Rachel was going to have to take in order to snap Chloe back to her senses and get her head back in the game with the rest of them.

 

* * *

 **Time:**  8:00 AM

 **Location:**  Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

* * *

 

Max couldn't hold it in anymore. She had to use the bathroom. Steph found a safe place to land in the wilderness and this confused Max. She hoping they'd land closer to a actual rest stop. Rachel tried to politely explain to her, that was not option as they were being tracked by the enemy and couldn't afford to appear in public places.

"So in other words…?"

Rachel opened the side door of the helicopter and forced a sweet smile on her face.

"You'll be using good old, mother nature as your toilet seat. Careful. Watch out for ticks and triggers. I would hate for you to get bit by one while relieving yourself."

Max squinted and was convinced Rachel would love it if a tick or trigger pricked her.

"Thanks for the advice."

Max muttered, walking over to the door where Rachel was standing. Max brushed her shoulder against Rachel's as she carefully crawled down and out of the helicopter and Rachel flinched at the brief contact.

"She really gets under your skin, doesn't she?"

Steph asked from her seat, occupying herself with a TIME magazine. She had nothing better to do while they waited for Max to do her business.

"What? No she doesn't."

"Oh yeah?"

Steph mused, glancing up from the article and over her shoulder at Rachel.

"Prove it then. Go with her and make sure she stays safe."

Rachel rolled her eyes then pointed down at the satchel bag on her waist.

"Why do you think I have this? I was going to follow her but I wanted to give her some privacy first."

Steph looked back down at her article.

"You should of given her the bag. She's grown. I think you held it back, probably hoping she'd realize all too late that she didn't have the supplies."

Rachel frowned.

"That's not… true."

"Prove it then."

Steph said again, turning the page and scanning the next feed.

"Fine. I will. Right now."

"Have fun bonding with Golden Hour."

Steph sang, then smirked hearing Rachel's noisy sigh in the background. Before going after Max, Rachel unzipped the bag and made sure the a bottle of water, portable form soap, toilet paper and hand sanitizer was there. All items accounted for, Rachel hopped out of the helicitor with Max and spotted her ahead, poking around the bushes. When Max found a bush she liked, she stepped in and found a spot to use. As she walked over to it, a hand came out and clamped down over her mouth and a strong arm snaked around her waist.

"Don't make a sound or I'll snap your neck. Come quietly and you won't get hurt."

Max did the opposite of what this intruder asked. She panicked and without meaning to, she rewound time, taking herself back to the helicopter where Rachel was standing by the door. Max had rewound time before. When she was little, she first discovered she could do it. When she told her parents they didn't believe her until she asked them to tell her a vital secret about themselves that she didn't know about. Prior to learning her parents secrets, Max rewound time, then explained the secrets, the conversations, word-for-word and that's all it took for the Caulfields to fear their Mutagen daughter. Following that event, her parents cautioned her to not use her power unless it was an emergency.

A man in a trenchcoat popping up in the middle of nowhere and threatening her sounded like a good reason to use her power. Max was just sorry she did so out of fear, not because she was in control of the power and aware of what she was doing. Because Max got spooked and freaked herself out with her own gift, she stood there, eyes stark white. The white faded after a few seconds went by, leaving Max feeling very disoriented. Max blinked rapidly and glanced around the helicopter, forgetting where she was at. Time was still catching up to Max and all the voices she heard were incoherent at first. She swayed and reached out to the wall, depstate to steady herself.

"Golden Hour, what are you standing around for? Hurry up and go do your business so we can go!"

That was when everything hit Max and she saw the previous events flash through her mind. She gasped loudly and grabbed at her head, feeling the world start to spin around her.

"Oh no! I… he… we… danger."

Steph quickly set down her TIME magazine and looked over the seat at the troubled teen. Rachel frowned and gestured at Max to get a move on.

"Come on. We can't stay in one spot too long. We're like open ducks sitting on lake. Now, stop stalling and talking nonsense and go to-"

"Madam President, someone is here."

Steph slipped the switch and stared up the helicopter. Rachel didn't give her orders to do that but it intrigued her that Steph would mind Max's warning over facts.

"Golden Hour, what are you doing? Did you or did you not have to use the restroom?"

Max fell away from the wall and sat down, poting a shaky finger at the open door.

"I didn't mean to but I accidently used my power and now I'm back here and telling you what happened. Can we go? He looked really scary."

"Whoa. What? You mean to tell me, you were abducted by the enemy and managed to get away safely, without him seeing you do it? How is that even possible?"

"I think he's still in the area."

Raising an eyebrow, Rachel looked out the door then back over at Max.

"You're serious?"

"Yes. I wouldn't make something like this up."

Rachel's features hardened.

"That's something a forced target would say to get us to walk into a trap."

Max centered herself and stood back up. She faced Rachel and raised her voice without meaning to.

"Madam President, I am  _not_ being forced by the enemy to lead you into a trap. What I walked in on, in the bushes? Okay,  _that_  was a trap. The only reason I'm here right now, is because I tripped out hearing say he'd snap my neck if I made a noise."

"So how did you "trip-on-out" of the situation with no one there to save you, Golden Hour? In case you've forgotten, Agent Price is down because of you."

Max rolled her head then dropped it in defeat. She sighed and rubbed at her temples feeling the start of a nasty headache.

_Great. That's just great. Now she thinks I'm working for the enemy. Our best ticket out of a hot mess is slowly dying and the other person who should totally be backing me up is making me out to be the bad guy. Could this day get any worse?_

At that precise moment, a rocket missile zipped past them and went off, just yards away from the helicopter. Many trees, bushes and rocks were destroyed and debris exploded up into the air, shooting out in various directions. During the fissure of the attack, Rachel threw herself on top of Max to shield her from any suspecting sniper bullets or bullets in general. Now that the environment was quiet again, Rachel raised herself up on her hands. Still acting as a human shield for her, Rachel eyes widened and she just stared down the girl under her. Rachel was able to somehow able to understand that Max had told her the truth and was trying to be nice by warning her but because she doubted her and wasted time, they got attacked. Chloe shifted slothfully on the cot bed and groaned, bothered by the loud, shocking noise the explosion created it.

"Chloe? Is she okay?"

"She's fine… are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Rachel got off Max then helped pull her up off the floor.

"No. I'm not hurt."

Max hugged herself, shook from so many things happening at once. She just wanted to enjoy her Thanksgiving break with Chloe in Portland. When and where did everything get so dangerous and complicated?

"Give me the order Madam and I'll get us off the ground."

"Take us straight to New York! If Max still has to use the bathroom, we'll make due with the bucket and what we got!"

Rachel closed the helicopter door and took it upon herself to move Chloe further back behind the seats.

"Agent Price, are you all right?"

Chloe couldn't open her eyes or speak. She didn't have the strength anymore to do it. The most she did for Rachel, to let her know she was fine, was breathe a little deeper. At least this way, Rachel knew she was alive. With her back to the other girls, Rachel let weakness surface and she gave Chloe a very quick and subtle kiss on the cheek.

"We'll be home soon. Just hang on. We're almost there."

Raising her head, Rachel put her game face back on and returned to the front.

"Golden Hour, buckle up please."

As Max pulled the seatbelt across her chest, Rachel She sat down beside her and did the same. After she was secure and strapped in, Rachel turned to Max, intrigued by the other girl all of a sudden. Max looked scared, way more than before. She was crying but trying not to cry out loud. Chloe's words rang through Rachel's head, the ones about how Max was a child and sensitive and Rachel felt a pang of guilt smother her. Taking a slow breath, Rachel found herself leaning over and cautiously lifting her hands to cup Max's face. She didn't do this because she wanted to come across like she cared. She did this, to force Max to look into her eyes and help her get a grip. She couldn't work with an emotional target. Rachel had absolutely no patience for that.

"Calm yourself and tell me very carefully how you knew all of this, Golden Hour."

Rachel believed Max but she also wanted to figure out how Max could possibly know how the enemy was in the woods and tell her all those details if she was still in the helicopter when that same enemy, attacked them. Rachel brushed the tears off Max's face and nodded gently, silently assurening her she was safe.

"I… am what you call a Time Wielder Mutagen. Or at least, that's what my mother told me about our heritage."

"You're a Time Wielder? Ohh, so that's why you're so valuable to the enemy. That makes sense."

Rachel leaned back and let go of Max's face.

_But that doesn't exactly explain why Mark Jefferson wants her._

Rachel frowned, recalling why they needed to land in the woods in the first place.

"Do you still have to use the bathroom?"

Max hesitated then started to nod but stopped hearing Chloe talk in her sleep. Something about asking her father not to leave, guns, and regrets. Max and Rachel each gave Chloe a look of concern before looking back at each other.

"There's something else I think you need to do about Agent Price's condition."

Rachel tipped her head at Max, indicating for her to go on.

"I um… used my power on her wound to stop the bleeding."

Rachel blinked, not expecting that answer.

"You mean…"

Rachel pointed behind her at Chloe with her thumb.

"You saved her from dying, basically?"

"Yes."

Max nodded and wiped the remainder of her tears away.

"I did. So whenever we get to the base, whoever she's going to see, you need to let me unfreeze her wound so they can treat it. Assuming the power hasn't wore off. If it doesn't, let me touch her to take it away, please? I tried to clean it at Chicago and it was ineffective because I froze everything around the wound and the wound itself."

Rachel's entire opinion of Max changed, just because she learned this information.

"You have my word that when we land, you'll be allowed to follow the staff into the ER. I will let the doctor know everything you told me and you will, I repeat _you will_ be allowed to unfreeze Chloe's wound."

Max smiled and felt better about the situation knowing she had gained Rachel's approval.

"So. Who will I be staying with until all of this blows over? I was never told."

Rachel had someone else lined up to babysit Max but after discovering she was a Time Wielder, Rachel wanted to investigate into Max's files and Max herself. The best way to do that, was to keep her close. Shooting Max a genuine half-smile, Rachel gestured proudly at herself.

"Until further notice, you will be staying with me."

Max should have felt honored to bunk with Rachel. She was the CEO afterall. Max was nervous and a little afraid of what Rachel might ask her or do to her, if she upset her. She put those fears away and mirrored Rachel's smile, glad to be on better terms with her.

"All right. Thank you Madam President for your hospitality."

"No. Thank you."

Rachel reached out and took Max's hand into her own and gave it gentle shake.

"And thank you for helping preserve Agent Price's life. I and the company are in your debt."

Max broke into cold sweat. Rachel seemed pleased with her, which was good. Max just couldn't be sure if Rachel was putting up a front or if she meant it. Either way, Max returned the hand shake then they looked out their windows for the remaining of the trip to New York. They didn't talk again both girls were fine with that.

* * *

 

In a shady bunker, deep underground a rugged, worn down barn, miles away from Max, a man in his late thirties was kneeling down and taking photos of his latest, drugged subject. She wasn't ideal, but she would work.

"You know Victoria. I was annoyed with you clingy attempts to seduce me at first but then I realized, one of my best masterpieces had died and needed to be replaced."

The man with the camera changed his angle and took another photo of Victoria's sleepy face. The bright light of radiation blinded her but she couldn't do anything about it. Her body was not hers at the moment and she was helpless to do whatever it was the man wanted from her.

"Megan, come over here and do what you do best my dear. I want to make sure the Zeitgeist Gallery in San Francisco nominate Miss Chase up for display, along with my other collections I've submitted. Oh and Megan?"

The man smiled at Megan but it was anything but friendly. Megan Weaver, a former student of Blackwell Academy was brutally kidnapped by outside merchs who were hired by Mark Jefferson. She, like the other Time Wielders Mark Jefferson had acquired over the years, were his slaves. Numbers, never people. After he got his high of making them pose, the ones who held his attention, remained alive. The two layer metal device collars they wore disabled the Time Wielder from being able to use their power how they wanted. The white layer controlled their freeze power and the black layer controlled their fast forward or rewind power. Mark Jefferson wore a special suit that shielded him from the effects of time travel of either direction, so anytime he wanted to mess with someone's life or enhance his, he wore the suit. Like today. Mark was confident the committee would accept his work this time. Victoria was his missing link and he wanted to fast forward time to see what would happen. But first, Megan needed to freeze Victoria's posture so Mark could frame her in his high quality custom built, life size, picture frames.

"Make sure you freeze her extra hard so we don't have another decay incident, all right? I'd hate to dispose of you like I had to do for Brittany. But alas, even Time Wielders have their limits. Too much power usage equals death for your kind and I've never been a fan of that. Such a shame. Brittany was powerful too. But then again, so was Tyra."

Mark got up off the floor and turned to Megan with the smile still plastered across his face.

"And Lynn. I miss them, they were so good at what they did. Tell me Megan…"

Mark trailed off and walked around to the front of Victoria. He knelt down on one knee and started taking multiple shots again. Megan stood back, waiting for her orders.

"What good is it to be a Mutagen but then die out so quickly if you use too much of that awesome power? Anyway, I'm done here. She's all yours."

Megan hated what she was about to do. In order for the realism of the subject to remain, Megan had to freeze people alive, never dead. The subjects would die but very slowly. As the freeze power starts to fade, so does the life of the one who is frozen. Victoria heard Megan's footsteps approach and she just laid there, unable to fight back or say anything to her captors. Closing her eyes, Megan focused and waited charged her power. When she opened her eyes, they were glowing stark white. Raising her hand, she spread her fingers and just like that, Victoria Chase was froze solid. Blinking slowly, Megan's eyes returned to normal and she looked at Mark with such a tired, wounded expression. She hated helping him kill his subjects while he waited for the gallery to accept his work. For her own sake of mental health, she hoped they approved of Victoria's so she could maybe not have to freeze anymore people in the Dark Room.

After Mark fitted Victoria in a portrait, he zipped his suit tight and used his control device to fast forward time, through Megan. He stood behind her and watched events go forward quite quickly. He saw himself packing Victoria out of the Dark Room, then come back down to get the other portraits to take upstairs. He kept fast forwarding until a total of five days had passed. Five. Megan was exhausted and when she started to see her form breaking, he stopped. The second he stopped, there was a bright flash of light that blinded him. When it faded, he was standing in the middle of a large crowd that was asking him all sorts of questions. Some people wanted his autograph, some people wanted to know the secret to his work and how he made the drawings look so  _real_. Mark wasn't sure where Megan was but he would worry about that later. For now, he bathed in the glory of his new fans and answered their questions with answers he had been waiting for years, to deliver. Behind Mark, was a U shape display ring. On these rings, the girls he had stolen and had frozen by Time Weiliders, hung proudly and people were gazing up at them with admiration and intrigued interest. None of them realized, that these portraits of girls, were actually human flesh and blood. And Mark planned on keeping things that way. All he needed now, was Max Caulfield. A Time Wielder that was rumored to be one of the most powerful Time Wielders of her era. Once business in San Francisco concluded,Mark planned on cutting ties with Blackwell and taking his work to another region. Preferably, a place that gave him new inspiration and drive to keep doing what he was doing.


	6. Episode 6: Diversion

**Time:**  11:00 AM

 **Location:**  New York, Woodside - CIA HQ (Med Bay)

* * *

 

Exactly five days ago, Chloe safely arrived at New York. She was received by the medical staff, and rushed to the Med Bay where another staff was already waiting to perform her surgery. As promised Max went with them, and together with Rachel, they entered the Med Bay where Chloe was being transferred onto the surgeon table. Max was very emotional, but Rachel was actually proud of her for keeping it together, and not bursting into tears as they watched the medical staff prep Chloe for surgery.

Chloe was already unconscious, but she was sedated for what was to come. Before anyone made a cut or so much as a incision in Chloe's flesh, Rachel quickly explained to them that Max had frozen Chloe's wound, and the power hadn't wore off so she needed to unfreeze it so they could continue. The medical staff waited for Max to approach the table, and touch Chloe's exposed stomach. Max slowly reached down to place her hand over the wound. The very second she unfroze the area, Chloe arched in her deep sleep, and all of her vitals started going off like crazy. Startled, Max stumbled away, and right into Rachel's open arms. Moving Max behind her, Rachel ordered the field agent who came in with them to escort Max to her room until further notice.

The older agent nodded, and gently tried to guide Max around the madness but Max kept her eyes on Chloe as she was leaving. She gasped seeing Chloe jerk, and vomit up blood. That of course, sent the medical staff into high alert, and they had to stabilize her all over again. The last thing she saw was Chloe's face twist in pain before the door slid shut, and separated her from Chloe completely.

Rachel remained in the ER with Chloe and carefully oversaw everyone's procedure. She trusted her employees, she really did but if she was going to be honest with herself, Rachel was disturbed at how much Max's power had kept Chloe stable and alive. Seeing Chloe down was one thing. Seeing Chloe vomit blood and convulse on the surgeon table told Rachel that Chloe would of died had not Max intervened and froze the wound when she did.

The doctor who was over the team was a specialist. Rachel had called him in while they were flying to New York, requesting him specifically. The reason for this was simple. Dr. Donald Horatio "Ducky" Mallard wasn't just any kind of chief medical examiner. He was someone who secretly knew about the race of Mutagens and had worked with them in the past. He was the best, as far as Rachel was concerned and Chloe deserved the best. But it wasn't just about Chloe. Rachel wanted to talk to him about Max. The Time Wielder Mutagen that had her attention. Rachel remained awake and by Chloe's side, long after her surgery had completed. Max wasn't allowed to see Chloe until she woke up and she was told this by the older agent who stayed with her in Rachel's room and saw to all of her needs. Max was fine with those conditions so long as she eventually got see Chloe.

Now, the following morning of a new day Rachel continued to sit in the chair by Chloe's bed in the room she was moved to after her surgery was over. Rachel hadn't slept very much and was quite moody with anyone who tried to get her to eat or rest. What was a few rings under the eyes and some grumpy expressions? It's not like it was the first time she had sat with a agent that was hurt. Chloe just happened to be personal and her weakness. That and Rachel wanted to be the first person Chloe saw when she woke up.

Turning the page, Rachel's eyes scanned another report Chloe had written down about Max's hobbies at Blackwell. "Max is kind of... boring. It says here she likes sitting under trees and writing in a journal. Lots of these reports just have Max being shy, quiet and writing in that journal of hers." Rachel sub-consciously played with the tip of the document and read another section about Max. This time it was about her dreams. "Ah. So she aspires to become a renown photographer and came to Blackwell to study under her favorite role model and teacher, Mark Jefferson. Huh. Well, that's all fine and good but Mark wanted Max  _prior_  before her transfer to Blackwell. As in, he didn't want to see her as a student and has paid to have her for private use. But... why?"" Does he know something we don't?"

Rachel squinted her tired, burning eyes and racked her brain for information.

"Shouldn't having Max as a student pacify him?" Rachel looked up at the ceiling then kicked herself for what she had said. "If he was interested in having Max as a student, he wouldn't have contacted us before school started. Duh..."

Rachel glanced down, hearing her pager go off. She took the small device off the side of her belt and read the message sent from her guest Dr. Mallard. He asked her if she was feeling all right and if she was planning on visiting with him today. Rachel wanted to confront Dr. Mallard but she just couldn't bring herself to leave Chloe's side. He was still in the building, relaxing in the privacy of his guest residence. He figured she was waiting for Chloe to wake up and that was fine. He had time and he would wait for her to come, whenever that would be. Sighing, Rachel paged him back and assured him before the day was over, she'd stop by his room and speak with him.

Now bored of looking over Max's files, Rachel closed the red folder, set it down on the end table then turned in her chair to study the other girl in the bed beside her. Her features saddened seeing Chloe look like that. Weak, tired and without hope. Rachel frowned and reached out to brush some of Chloe's hair out of her face and behind her ear.

"You really did it this time Price. Was she even worth it?"

Like usual, Chloe didn't wake up or reply to her. She just laid there, still and unresponsive. Rachel chuckled softly and ran her thumb delicately across Chloe's cheek. The cheek that had a white patch over it where she had been shot with a gun at the hotel. The swelling of her eyes had gone down some but they were greasy with a ointment designed to help swelling and infection. Her arm was in the sling and her stomach was patched and wrapped effectively under her med gown.

"Of course she was... or you wouldn't have done what you did, right?" Rachel's sad smile left her face feeling her eyes cloud with moisture. "Blast it all. I said I wouldn't cry."

Rachel tried to force the tears back but the more she stared at Chloe's body and surveyed the damage, she found herself breaking until finally, she threw herself at Chloe on the bed and allowed all of the pent up frustration go. She got as close as she could without climbing onto the bed. Rachel laid her near Chloe's forearm and draped her arm across Chloe's stomach very carefully. Biting her lower lip, Rachel buried her face in the crook of Chloe's neck and kept crying. She didn't care who walked in and saw. Right now, she needed to do this. While Rachel cried softly and soaked Chloe's neck with her tears, Chloe could hear herself breathing in and out of her oxygen mask and different kinds of machines beeping softly around her. How long had she been under? A few hours? Days? She couldn't tell and that wasn't a good thing.

"Mmm. Ra... chel?"

Chloe gasped suddenly and started to panic without meaning to. Rachel snapped her head up and placed her hands on the side of Chloe's face. She brought their foreheads together and shushed her softly.

"It's okay. You're safe. You had your surgery and you're fine."

Chloe's entire body was in pain from head to toe. She was very hot, ached all over and overall, felt out of her comfort zone. Her gash wound was healing very slowly and she did feel a little better but not enough to sit up and have a conversation. She whimpered pitifully and the sound of it broke Rachel's heart. She started to shake and shifted nervously under the sheets but never opened her eyes.

"Chloe you're fine. It's all right. I'm here."

"R-Rachel? Where... am I?"

Chloe started to hyperventilate and her breathing intensified. Rachel just kept their foreheads pressed together but when talking and stroking Chloe's face didn't work, Rachel crawled into the bed, wrapped her arms carefully around Chloe's waist and hugged her as close as she could. Rachel lowered her chin on Chloe's shoulder and felt Chloe shudder.

"Shh. You're okay, Chloe." Rachel whispered, reassuring her friend. Rachel heard Chloe sigh weakly and instantly, the beeping of the machines returned to normal. Rachel leaned back but kept her arms around Chloe's waist. "Can you understand that it's me, your BFF and can you register that I'm holding you? You don't have to speak, just nod if you can understand."

Chloe nodded shyly and Rachel grinned, glad to see that Chloe was starting to regain her senses.

"Do you want me to call for Golden Hour or your mom? She flew in when she heard about your accident. Actually, quite a few of our agent allies from different branches flew in when they heard about this. But I told them your mother and Golden Hour had top priority."

Chloe didn't say anything to that. Instead, she turned her head in the direction of Rachel's voice, and sighed.

Smirking, Rachel cupped the side of Chloe's face. "Or do you just want me for the moment?"

"You." Chloe faintly replied, leaning into Rachel's touch.

Pleased to see Chloe wanted her for a change, Rachel smiled. "All right. I'll stay with you a little bit then have your mom and Golden Hour come in. Okay?"

Rachel dropped her hand from Chloe's face then dipped her head so she could nuzzle into her hair. Chloe went still and absorbed the affection, greatly comforted by it. Through the window, Rachel could tell they were being observed from onlookers. The windows were tinted for privacy but it didn't stop people from stopping and staring at the window.

"I think Agent Price woke up." A field agent muttered, scratching the side of his scruffy beard in thought.

"Oh yeah?" A female agent asked, looking up at her partner. "How can you tell?"

"Because I heard the monitors going off and stuff. Plus, I heard talking. The CEO wouldn't talk to herself so... who is she talking to?"

His partner nodded in understanding then they went about their way to their desks to file some reports.

 

* * *

 

On the highest floor, the skyscraper section of the builder was Rachel's penthouse. She personally requested her home be built on the top floor and since James was fairly wealthy, it wasn't hard to get her condo built. The CIA didn't mind that the CEO had a personal home on the top floor. It was different, but not uncommon to have. Rachel had another home of course off the CIA grounds but the penthouse was her favorite place to retreat to during the week and on the weekends or on holidays, she tended to go to her other home and live with her parents.

In the middle of the luxurious room, Max sat on the modern couch, hunched over with a warm mug of tea in her hands. On the edge of the couch, stood two women dressed in very expensive and unique uniforms. When they were first introduced to Max, she had to stop herself from staring at the back of their necks. There was strange tech on the back of their necks and it was unlike anything Max had ever seen. The tech was hologram-like circle that constantly rotated and never seemed to run out of energy. The middle of the hologram circle was a white, but the block rings were a sharp yellow. These field agents were a little older than Chloe, and had transported in from Paris.

They were the top CIA agents from Slum Sector 404 and were personally requested by Rachel to guard Max until she and the Chief decided what would happen to Max. They knew she was supposed to be given to Mark but Rachel convinced the Chief that Mark was into something illegal and he was kind enough to give her more time to investigate Mark's motives. In the meantime, Max would remain with the CIA branch in New York and until he and Rachel came to a mutual agreement about who would protect Max, she was under their care. Max didn't mind these new agents from France but they weren't exactly what she was expecting.

The agent standing left of Max had stunning, blue eyes, neck length red blonde hair with platinum highlights and bore two signature scars. One on her head and the other at the top of her lip. The agent standing right of Max, was a serious looking woman, far more than the other one. She had blue eyes, silky short blonde hair that was combed over to one side of her face and a tattoo design that Max couldn't quite understand. Honestly, the agent's tattoo reminded Max of the Runners but only to a point.

"Can I ask you a silly question, Golden Hour?"

The agent standing left of Max gently prompted her and was a little excited to learn more about the rumored Time Wielder that Rachel made out to sound so mysterious. The agent's features softened when Max turned her head and nodded at her to go on.

"So. What's she like?"

Max set her mug down then shifted around on the couch so she could look at the agent better. "What was who like, Agent Wells?"

"Nilin, why are you bothering Golden Hour with stupid questions like that?"

Nilin looked away from Max to give her co-worker a lazy smirk of the lips. "Olga, please. I know you're curious to learn more about the renown Rachel Amber. You're one of her biggest fans back home. To finally meet her must be a super high for you. I'm shocked you didn't fangirl when she shook your hand for the first time."

Max glanced at Olga just in time to catch her blush.

"That's not-"

No longer interested in Olga, Nilin waved a hand and cut her off, then politely gestured at Max to continue. "You were saying, Golden Hour?"

Max drew up one knee, wrapped her arm around the leg and placed her chin on top of the knee cap. She glanced down and thought about how she genuinely felt about Rachel and took into consideration Rachel's behavior when they first met and the Rachel she had seen during the past five days.

"She was..." Max softy began but stopped her and trailed off, conflicted all of a sudden. She pressed her lips together and squinted her eyes, reliving the events with Rachel one by one in her mind. "Polite. Intense. Smart..." Max caught Nilin's stare and arched an eyebrow. "Really intimidating. I find the CEO to be very hard to read. She strikes me as a battery. Both positive and negative. She's like a dragon made out of diamonds, a prism you can never know but are forced to just admire at a distance. What Agent Price told me about her, wasn't exactly the same person I had the pleasure of meeting. One minute she was rough and cold, the next, soft and warm. Does that make any sense?"

Nilin cupped her chin and hummed thoughtfully, taking Max's response in strides. "Yes. It does. It matches what we have on file about her. However, I strongly believe the CEO is just stuck inside a world she hates and grows weary of living a double life."

Olga whipped her head around and gave Nilin daggers, taking offense to the remark about Rachel. "Agent Wells stand down. That is not your call to make."

Nilin sighed. Turning to Olga, she kindly corrected herself. "You're right. It’s not but I am merely repeating what Agent Price has told me before in the past."

The room got quiet at the mention of Chloe's name. Everyone knew about her mission at this point. Even other CIA agents from different agencies across the United States to overseas had heard some version of her tragic tale. Nilin however, knew Chloe fairly well. They served on three missions in France and two in Korea. Nilin liked Chloe, respected her skill on the field and was honored when Chloe started to open up and talk about her life with her. That's when Nilin first heard the name Rachel Amber and had been drawn to it ever since. But Rachel's personality wasn't really what Nilin found intriguing. It was her Mutagen power. So far, there was only one Mutagen like Rachel and her power level was unlike anything Nilin had heard. Chloe made it very clear that Rachel's heritage was shrouded in mystery and no one was allowed to know all the details, not even herself.

"Does she ever talk about her gifts with you?"

Max glanced up at Nilin. She frowned and shook her head. "No. Why would she?"

Nilin shrugged. "Well, where you're also a Class S Mutagen like she is so I thought maybe you two would be able to connect with each other."

"Class S?" Max squinted. "What does that mean?"

Olga glowered at Nilin for leaking so much classified intel to Max but she didn't try to stop her. She settled for listening and observation. If and when Nilin crossed a line, Olga would interfere and put a stop to it.

"I shouldn't talk about her file with you." Nilin admitted rubbing her neck apologetically. "But if I were you, I'd get to know the CEO and build up to asking her about it. If you get on her good side, maybe she'll tell you about it? Now, what I can tell you and won't get in trouble for it is this. Class S Mutagens are rare and extremely powerful. Agent Conners, the one you met in Chicago? She's a Class S, elite material inside and out. Olga and I? We're different but evenly matched when it comes to melee skills. Mutagen wise, I'm a Class S and she's a Class A. And in this type of ranking system, "S" is more powerful than "A", just so you know."

Max lowered her leg and leaned further back into the couch and wondered if Chloe fell under any special field, despite being normal. "Is Chloe-" Max pressed her lips together and inhaled sharply, remembering that it was rude to refer to Chloe informally.

"Is Agent Price considered Class S?"

Olga chuckled, thinking back to the first time she had to fight Chloe over a misunderstanding. Chloe left her bed ridden for weeks. Olga remixed Chloe's memories, had her in a state of utter confusion and peril and the girl  _still_  managed to break out from under her mental attack, find her location and mess her world up.

"Agent Price is special, but she's not a Class S. She's-"

Olga didn't get a chance to finish. The door slid open and Rachel staggered into the room. Everyone looked over at Rachel and watched as she used the wall for support. Olga went over to the wall Rachel was leaning against and offered her arm out to the younger woman. Rachel knew Olga fairly well enough to feel comfortable with her, so she gently latched onto her. Olga smiled and guided Rachel over to the other modern couch, opposite of where Max was sitting. She leaned back into and finally let herself relax. Shutting her eyes, Rachel threw one arm behind the back of the couch, planted her feet firmly on the ground and slowly lowered her head down. She found Max's curious eyes and offered her a small, polite smile.

"Golden Hour, I apologize for being away for so long but as you know, Agent Price's situation required my presence. I also had to check in with Dr. Mallard concerning something about you, actually."

Max's eyebrows arched up in surprise. "Me?"

Rachel nodded then a yawn escaped and she jerked her head, trying to wake up and keep herself attentive. "Yes. He was helping me understand your type of power, its usages, causes and effects, etc. It was all very fascinating and I never realized just how complex your kind is."

Max blushed. "Oh. Am I bad?"

Rachel's eyes were lacking strength and gradually began to fluttering shut.

"No. You're not bad but if the wrong people get a hold of you, they'll want to control you so they can use you for bad things... and... that's always a problem for any Mutagen, not just Time Wielders."

Rachel yawned again but tried to hide it. It didn't go unnoticed by either girl. Max stopped asking questions out and sat still on the couch, waiting to see if Rachel would nod off or try to keep talking. Nilin went off to go fetch a blanket from Rachel's bedroom for Rachel's convenience. Olga stayed put by the couch near Max and observed their talk with interest, but mainly because Rachel was there and she had deep respect for Rachel. To work with her again and see her up close made Olga very happy. As if sensing this from the French agent, Rachel turned her head lazily in Olga's direction and smiled, hoping it would reassure her she was grateful for her and Nilin's services to her. Olga returned the smile then went right back to looking mean and serious.

"Ah yes. About Agent Price." Rachel kicked off her high heal shoes then curled up at the edge of the couch feeling herself starting to pass out from exhaustion. "She woke up and her mother is visiting with her now. When Mrs. Price has finished, I have arranged a meeting time for the two of you. Is that okay with you?"

"Yes. Of course. Thank you Madam President."

"Mmm-hmm. Don't mention." Rachel rested her head on the pillow, stretched out and got comfortable. "In a few hours, a nurse will come up here and ask for you and you may go visit Agent Price. Once Agent Price gets to feeling better, she will be evaluated, so understand that you are still considered a hindrance and depending on if she passes her evaluation, you may or may not have her as a agent again."

Max looked down at the wooden floor and tensed on the inside. She didn't want to be reassigned to another agent. It wasn't fair but Rachel was firm on this decision and Max respected her enough to block personal feelings from dictating her thoughts. "I... understand Madam President."

Nilin emerged from her bedroom went back over to the couch and gently tucked the blanket about Rachel's shoulders.

"Thank you Agent Wells." Rachel muttered, snuggling her head deeper in the pillows.

Nilin bowed her head respectfully then returned to her default standing position beside Max. The three girls looked at Rachel and waited for her to do something. Rachel just laid there with her eyes closed and didn't seem like she was going to bark out anymore orders. Olga clearly her throat and asked the obvious, catching the two women's attention.

"Have you been able to rest since Agent Price's surgery or is this your first official day off? Would you like us to dismiss anyone who comes for you or pages you, Madam President?"

Rachel sighed deeply as a response and tugged the blanket Nilin put around her even closer around her shoulders. "That won't be necessary. I intend to go back down and be with her and I need to receive any calls, pages that come through. I just needed to take a quick break, that's all..."

Everyone could see the dark circles under Rachel's eyes and the way her breathing patterned deepened just seconds after she replied to Olga. Taking pity on Rachel, who was clearly biting off more than she could chew, Max got up and cautiously went over to sit down beside Rachel. She wasn't trying to win browine points with her. She just wanted to show Rachel she was a kind, caring soul who wasn't all about Chloe. Biting her lower lip Max slowly moved her hand out to graze Rachel's shoulder.

Rachel flinched but not because she thought Max's touch was repulsive. Her nerves were just that bad. Rachel tried not to react to Max running her hand up and down her shoulder, but it was little hard not to. Her curiosity to her wanting to help, humbled Rachel and she unwillingly let her guard down. Several minutes later, the room was filled with the soft sound of Rachel's snoring. Max continued to stroke Rachel down the arm and across her back.

"Is she allowed to do that?" Olga whispered behind her hand at Nilin.

Smirking, Nilin shrugged and silently mouthed back, "Probably not but I think it's cute."

Olga motioned at every electronic that served as a communication device in the room. Nilin caught on and they scattered in different directions. Rachel would yell at them later once she figured out what they did but that was later. For now, Olga and Nilin unplugged and deactivated the devices all in the name of helping Rachel sleep. Max watched them, amused at their strategy and decided she liked the French agents. They were smart, funny, had great chemistry with each other and charming.

She stopped petting Rachel and informed the French agents she would go to her guest room and wait until the nurse came up and called her downstairs to visit with Chloe. Rachel remained on the couch for several hours. She even slept through the sparring session Nilin and Olga preformed in the open space on the second floor of the penthouse, the cleaning routine of four maids, and finally the nurse coming to get Max. Olga was pretty sure Rachel didn't intend to sleep so long but neither she or Nilin could find it in their hearts to wake her. 

 

* * *

 

Downstairs the nurse showed Max to Chloe's room and explained to her when she was done to call for her and she would escort her back to Rachel's penthouse. Max nodded her thanks then entered the medium sized room. A tall woman with waist length blonde hair and soft blue eyes turned around hearing Max enter. When their stares met, Max instantly had an idea as to who the woman was.

"Oh. Are you Golden Hour? My daughter has told me so much about you."

Chloe sighed from the bed and gave her mother a sleepy glare. "Mom, what did I tell you?"

Joyce held up her hands and performed a half bow before Max. "My apologies. Hello Max. It's nice to meet you."

Max smiled and went over to shake the hand of the woman who brought Chloe into the world. She was honored to meet Joyce and hoped that by the end of their talk Joyce approved of her as friend for her daughter.

"Hello Mrs. Price. Are you doing well today?"

Joyce grinned and Max saw the best feature she and Chloe shared. Their grins were identical and the way it met Joyce's eyes reminded her of Chloe too.

"I am now that I've seen and talked to my baby girl."

"Oh God, mom  _please_  don't embarrass me like this. When I said I wanted you guys to meet, it wasn't an invitation for you to flaunt over me."

Max and Joyce looked over and down at Chloe and they both grinned at her. Chloe saw it, rolled her eyes and rolled her head in the opposite direction.

"How is she doing?"

"Good. She's able to breath without a oxygen mask now so that's improvement. She also used the bathroom for the first time in five days without the aid of someone having to-"

"Seriously mom! Stop!"

Chloe barked weakly, blushing deeply from embarrassment. Max put her hands over her mouth to hide her giggle but Joyce heard it and found Max's gesture utterly adorable.

"Oh. Her laugh is so cute. Chloe, be nice to this one you hear? I want you to bring her home when you get some vacation time."

Max lowered her hands slowly down from her mouth and her face beamed with excitement. Joyce wanted Chloe to bring her to their home. Max was down for that and it showed on her face. Joyce chuckled and patted Max's sides and gave her quick once-over.

"I can put some meat on those bones too. Give you a reason to come visit me."

"Mom. Stop trying to fatten up every friend I bring home. It's not cute, it's disturbing."

Joyce turned around and put her hands on her hips. She raised an eyebrow and scoffed. "Says the girl who freaked out hearing the door bell ring last year and disarmed that poor unit of fake armed men and then realized after you made them cry, it was just trick or treaters dressed up as mafia henchmen?"

Chloe raised her good arm and softly snapped her finger at her mother.

"I was having a bad year and every other mission had me paranoid, okay? You told me dad was worse when you were pregnant with me, so there."

Joyce threw her arms up and sighed loudly. "That was completely different and totally besides the point. But you know, letting me spoil your friends with home cooking isn't so bad. I want more company around and feeding people is what I specialize at."

Max giggled again, enjoying the banter between Chloe and her mother. Joyce didn't stay too long, as she had to fly out and return back home. She hugged Max then went over to the bed and leaned over to kiss Chloe on the forehead.

"You're impossible and hard to please."

Joyce gave Chloe a doting nuzzle and Chloe started to return it back then remembered Max was watching and leaned away from her mother.

"Y-Yeah. Whatever. Have a safe flight home. Thanks for coming out to see me. Oh yeah, and be sure to lock all the doors, windows and activate the security systems, all three of them before you take your meds. They make you sleepy and you tend to forget."

"Chloe?" Joyce softly called, arching an eyebrow.

"And be sure you pack your 9mm. Shoot anyone or anything that looks suspicious and like a genuine threat to your health."

"Chloe?" Joyce said again, getting an amused look on her face.

"And please don't let the men of the area think you're up for sale. You're happily single and I'm happy without a step-father and the center of your world."

Joyce crossed her arms and cut Chloe off by giving her a family peck on the mouth. "Good-bye, Chloe. You're impossible when you're in, "I have to protect my mother" mode. Have a good week, stay out of trouble and try not to get yourself killed. You're the only thing I have left of William."

Chloe blushed and wiped her mouth off and playfully made a disgusted face. Joyce tapped her daughter on the nose then stepped away from the bed.

"Oh don't be so stubborn. You used enjoy it when I would give you attention like this. Now behave and take it easy, all right?"

Joyce started to go but Chloe's hand came out and clamped around her mother's wrist. She tugged on it weakly and whispered, "I love you... please be careful, mom. I only have one of you and I don't know what I'll do if something happens to you."

Joyce turned around and pressed her forehead into Chloe's. They shut their eyes and were content like that for a short moment then Joyce finally leaned away. Max stood off to the side and waited for Joyce to leave. Once they were officially alone, she gently crawled onto the bed.

"Oh. Hello there. Did you have withdraws while I was hibernating for five days?"

Max suddenly tucked herself under Chloe's chin and started crying seemingly out of no where. Chloe blinked her slightly swollen eyes and tried to play it off like it was fine but she blushed, having a strong idea as to why Max was crying.

"Uhh..." Chloe hesitantly lifted her good arm and caved it around Max's shuddering frame.

"Was the wait that bad?"

"You have no idea. S-Sorry for being like this. I just... couldn't fake it anymore."

"It's fine hippie. No need to be sorry. You're clearly the emotional one in this relationship."

"Sorry." Max whimpered and buried her nose more into Chloe's neck. "I just feel so useless in all of this."

"I never said being the emotional one was a bad thing, Max. Why do you feel useless?"

Max remained silent and kept crying softly in Chloe's ear. Frowning, Chloe drew Max closer and adjusted Max's head so she was laying on her chest.

"Listen. You saved my life, did something no agent or other Mutagen could do. You stopped the blood and the wound from killing me and bought me some time. Sure it felt like a tornado just did a number on my insides after you unfroze me, but in the end, the doctor and his people got me stabilized and I'm here, in this moment, right now with you. And I wouldn't have it any other way." Chloe's voice dropped an octave, dreading what she was about to tell her. "Hey. There's something else... I haven't let you in on. It's about you and my purpose for coming to Blackwell to keep an eye on you. There's this client we have, who secretly provides intel for this agency from time to time... and well... he paid us in advance to find you and deliver you to him. Now that I'm awake, I wanted to be the one to tell you before the CEO did or worse... no one told you and you were just handed over to him."

Max sniffed softly and quieted her sobbing so she could listen better. "G-Go on. I'm listening."

Chloe bit her lower lip and hoped what she was about to say next wouldn't damage their friendship. "Originally, I was supposed to take you from your home in Seattle, and deliver you personally to him but the CEO didn't like what she saw and proposed to our Chief that he was into some illegal stuff that would automatically disqualify him as a source and obviously, as a client. Now what I'm about to tell you is strictly classified, but I feel like you need to know who the client is, and also be prepared to undergo a huge change if, and when the CIA decides to clear the client and drop all of the CEO's charges against him."

"Who is it Chloe? Do I know him?"

Chloe swallowed the unexpected lump in her throat. "Yes. He's your photography teacher, Mark Jefferson."

Max tensed hearing the his name fall from Chloe's mouth. "W... What?" She breathed, blinking tears out of her eyes. "Mr. Jefferson paid you to bring me to him?"

"Yes. Mr. Jefferson is the client who's been waiting to receive you for a few months now but the CEO isn't comfortable doing this. However, since she hasn't found anything to back her claims, I'm afraid the Chief is going to contact him. So, whether or not they assign another agent to you, it won't matter if the Chief makes the call and says you gotta go to our client. As we were already paid and it will look bad on the company to have you in custody but not inform Mr. Jefferson about you." Chloe whispered, feeling Max tense up again.

"I... I don't want to leave you. And I don't like the idea of being "bought" off Chloe. That's not even right."

"I know Max, but Mr. Jefferson claimed he was looking for you because he had someone he needed you to meet. Who this other person is, remains unknown but... I wanted to you be aware of your situation regardless."

Max whimpered and started to shake in Chloe's embrace.

"Hey, hey. Don't be scared. I won't let anything happen to you. You have my word." Chloe leaned down and kissed Max's cheek, then once on her forehead.

"How can you say that to me if your boss says otherwise?"

"No matter what you see in next few days, no matter what you hear me say or not say. No matter how I act towards you in front of my bosses and the other agents, know that I love you and I have a plan cooked up that no one, not even you will see coming." Chloe pressed her cheek against Max's and nuzzled her calmly. "Okay? Promise me you won't question my decisions and trust me over what your eyes see me do."

Max already didn't like the sound of Chloe's plan but she nodded as Chloe leaned back so she could move away.

"Okay. I trust you Chloe."

"Good. Now look at me."

Max slowly looked up and another round of tears spilled from the corners of her eyes and ran down her face.

"I." Chloe tucked some hair behind Max's hair, leaned in and pressed lips to her forehead. Max gasped softly, not expecting Chloe to do that. "Love."

Chloe's lips lingered and she whispered the last word with such sincerely it made Max's heart race.

"You. I would bring down the stars and the moon for you if could. I'm not afraid of loving you Max. I'm afraid of what measures I'll go to because I love you. This drive is similar for my mother and for the CEO as well. So know that what I'm telling, is not something to take lightly. You have my heart and I will not betray you no matter what your eyes, and doubts tell you these next coming days. 'Alright?"

Chloe moved her lips off Max's forehead so she could rest against Max.

Max raised a shaky hand, and placed it on Chloe's face. "Why are you doing this for me, Chloe? I didn't do anything to do deserve you or what you've sacrificed for me."

Chloe met Max's troubled gaze with gentle eyes. "You know, there's a this Final Fantasy character named Zidane. In the opening screen, they showed the characters and what they said before you played the game. His catchphrase was, "I don't need a reason to help people." I guess that's true for me because I didn't need a reason to protect you. It was just my job. Now I have a reason, and I think it's beautiful. Don't you?"

"You'd choose me over money? Over your job?"

Chloe pulled Max back into an embrace. "Sure. I entered this job to seek revenge on the one responsible for the hit on my father. I also picked this job to distrect myself so I didn't have to deal with the reality of loosing my dad. It's strange... I used to think if I became like him it would make me feel closer to him and like he wasn't really gone but I was just fooling myself. I choose to live a lie rather than in truth and that's my fault but it worked out... that is, until I met you. You gave me reason to stop living a lie Max. Rachel did too but you came at me in another way different from her. Rachel actually likes the CIA. I don't. It's just there and a reminder of what I wanted to defeat to have closure about what happened to my dad. Thanks for giving me a fresh perspective. I wonder if my dad saw me in a similar light? Someone precious to love, to protect, to lay down his life for? I'm sure he did, he was a husband and a father but after meeting you I just wanted to enjoy you all the time and knew if I didn't protect you, you'd go away. It hurt me to think of not being to be with you. That's why I didn't think twice about laying my life down for you. I didn't just do that for show. I did it because I truly love you, Max."

Max started to cry again. "You really mean that?"

Chloe grinned and held Max a little closer. "I don't get that deep over nothing Caulfield. Yes, I meant every word."

Max slid her arms around Chloe's neck and clung to her, almost afraid if she let go she'd never see Chloe again.

"I love you and I will keep saying it until you get sick of hearing it." Chloe mumbled against her ear.

"I'll never grow tired of hearing it. Knock yourself out."

Chloe held Max's chin and tipped it up so she could look into her eyes. "All right then. I love you. I love you. I love you..."

Max counted it. Chloe said the statement a total of ten times, paused to catch her breath and said it another ten times just because. Max's expression softened and she leaned up and kissed Chloe on the cheek.

"Wowser. You're intense."

Chloe laughed softly and Max's spirit was lifted up by the sound of it. "Thanks. I think?"

The two teens cuddled on the bed until Chloe fell asleep. Max knew it was wrong of her to not call the nurse but she didn't care. She listened to Chloe's deep breathing and her strong heartbeat, soothed by both sounds and didn't stop listening even after she had drifted off.

 

* * *

 

The next following days were painful to bear. Once Chloe got to feeling better, she was able to walk around but still had to take things easy. The first thing Chloe had to do, was go to the evaluation Rachel had signed her up for. Max was allowed to attend the evaluation with Rachel and the Chief. The stood on the opposite side of the glass that they could look in and see her, but she would never be able to see them. The evaluator asked her a series of impersonal and personal questions, all of which centered around her and Max's relationship. In the beginning of the test, Chloe remained calm, expressed no emotion and answered each question promptly and accurately. Max watched Chloe very closely and felt bad that she had to be subject to what Max viewed as "harassment". Rachel was fine with the evaluation and was curious to see first hand what Chloe would do when the questions got more personal. The Chief was the same and he stood there, arms crossed and anxious to watch Chloe's reactions for himself. Sure enough, the evaluator hit the question sheet where everyone on the outside of the window saw her erupt into rage and those types of emotional outbursts were defiantly being taken into count.

"Agent Price, I'm just asking you simple questions. If you're not guilty, then you should have no problem in answering them."

The evaluator began but was brutally cut off by Chloe slamming her good fist down on the metal table. The loud shocking noise made Rachel and Max flinch, as it was powerful and resounded through the entire room.

"Oh really?! Who made these questions up? The Chief? The CEO? Or did the entire board get together and think I would find it cute to exploit my motives with Golden Hour like that?!"

"Please calm down and answer the question, Agent Price. At any point during your time guarding your assignment, did you start to have sexual, romantic feelings for her?"

Chloe clutched her fist and slammed it down on the table again.

"No!"

She barked, raising her voice drastically.

"And I never  _will_  strive for those kinds of feelings for  _any_  assignment I'm given. Boy or girl."

"Yet, you displayed open affection towards her in Chicago, and in Agent Hill's car? More than once, longer than the usual length friends should. Are you in denial of how you really feel towards Golden Hour?"

Chloe flushed from anger and Max could feel Chloe's frustration and wished the evaluation would stop. It was angering Chloe and she was gradually loosing her composure and Max was pretty sure that's exactly what the evaluator wanted her to do.

"So now there's a "time limit" as to how much or how long friends give affection huh?"

"Answer the question please."

Chloe leaned back and loudly tapped her finger tips on the table. She narrowed her eyes and growled. Not softly either. She growled loudly and it could be heard from the outside where the others were.

"No. I am not in denial of my sexual orientation. I am a heterosexual. FYI, just because I am not seeing anyone of the opposite sex doesn't mean I am not interested  in pursuing a male sexually, but I assure you, what Golden Hour and I have is strictly platonic. I never viewed her at anytime outside of that."

The evaluator gestured across the table at Chloe, taunting her. "Yet you took your shirt off in the room at Agent Conner's base and you were found with her on top of you?"

Chloe stood up so fast her chair knocked over and she wasn't satisfied with hitting the table anymore. She reached across the table and grabbed the evaluator by the scruff of his shirt and pulled him in closer to her enraged face, putting them nose-to-nose.

"Did the CEO tell you that or are you just that nosy and good at digging up dirt on what happened between me and my target? Because if she did, then she should have also told you, that the reason my shirt was off, was due to the fever flash I was experiencing and how miserable I was with my shirt on. Also, she should have highlighted in that report that I asked Golden Hour if she was okay with it and if she wasn't I'd keep my shirt on. Knowing the CEO, she would of told you everything I said so why would you even use that question against me? Would it make you happy if I said I pinned her under me and shoved my tongue in her mouth? Is that what you all want? Well too bad because we didn't have sex or make out at any point and we never will."

The evaluator's eyes widened and his jaw slowly sagged down seeing the deadly gleam in Chloe's eyes. Her features darkened and for a moment, the evaluator thought Chloe was going to hit him.

"Did you  report that incident, Madam President?"

Max softly asked, not wanting the Chief to hear her. Rachel glanced over at Max and nodded briefly then turned her attention back to the window. Max wanted to lash out right there but knew it would only make her and Chloe look even more guilty. Disgusted with him, Chloe thrust him away from her, picked up her chair and moodily sat back down. Regaining his composure, the evaluator continued on with the assessment.

"Do you admit to behaving unprofessional with the target?"

"Yes."

"Do you admit that your..." The evaluator cleared his throat and reconsidered re-wording the next question. "Odd status with the target has distracted you from carrying out your objective at any point during the mission?"

Chloe shook her head firmly. "Seeing as how our client required us to bring her in here so he could secretly come in and take her at some point, no. I don't believe I've failed in carrying out my main objective. I ensured her safely, didn't I? She arrived unharmed. If anything, we've failed as company because we haven't given her over to him yet."

Max rubbed at her arm and had a strong idea what the next question might be.

"Are you willing to be reassigned once you've fully recovered?"

"Yes."

That response just then shocked everyone, except Max. Chloe warned her not to trust her eyes or what she heard and that was the only reason she remained calm and her emotions unaffected.

"It was reported that you were all right with defying the Chief and your CEO on this very issue. Can I assume it was your pain and the fever making you delusional then?"

Chloe raised an eyebrow. "Yes. I would never put an assignment over the priority of the company. I would quit first and give them my two weeks notice, as I understand my actions affect everyone around me."

"Do you admit your behavior was brought on by a sense of loneliness or pent up desire?"

Chloe rolled her eyes. "My behavior was my own doing and it was not because I was lonely or had carnal desires. I simply enjoyed her while it lasted but I understand it's over and she will more than likely, be reassigned to another agent." Chloe stood up from the table, much softer this time. "We done? I got work to do."

Chloe didn't wait to be told that the evaluation was over. She showed herself out the door and went to the debriefing room where she would wait for the results. In the meantime, Max was evaluated and had to answer similar questions. Her responses matched Chloe's for the most part and after she was dismissed, their tests were processed. In the end, Chloe was deemed partly approved to continued guarding Max but she declined, just to spite their expectations.

Rachel saw that coming. What Rachel didn't see coming, was Chloe walking into her office the following week after Nilin and Olga were dismissed and Max had been assigned to a veteran agent. Chloe slide her a two weeks notice across her desk, and stood there in the silence, expecting Rachel to approve of her dismal. Rachel stopped writing and stared at the paper for a long time. Finally, she raised her gaze and looked at her, torn between punching Chloe across the face or respecting her wishes to leave the company.

"Why?"

Was all Rachel could say. She didn't sound angry, betrayed or surprised. She just wanted to know Chloe's reasons. Reaching over, Chloe stroked her arm in the sling then went to attention the best she could without hurting herself and gave Rachel her default scowl of anger.

"I'm tired. I want to step away."

"So take vacation leave and go to the Bahamas and come back refreshed."

Chloe shook her head. "Golden Hour has been reassigned to another agent until you can prove Mark Jefferson's case. Everything is smooth and turning out the way it should. Why is me quitting wrong? You don't own me, Madam President. Neither does the CIA. I almost died on this last mission. I'm still hurting from it and mom always did want me to work at a diner flipping a burgers instead of flipping bullets for a living."

Rachel moved the report she was writing off to the side and looked at Chloe with stern expression on her face. "I know this Agent Price. If you feel this what you need to do, then I expect you to follow through with your actions and will support your choice all the way. Of course you'll be missed but if this is really what you want, tell me you want out and I'll get the paperwork ready for you and can have you out by the weekended if you want?"

Chloe made sure to frown extra hard, even though she had a pretty mean streak going on for her already. "That would be great."

Rachel wasn't so selfish that she would resort to begging. If Chloe truly wanted to walk away from the CIA, she wouldn't stop her. It wasn't like their friendship would be over. Rachel knew that but it still hurt to see one of their finest agents quit. She suspected Max had something to do with it but Rachel kept those thoughts to herself.

"I wish you the best. I'll be sure to let the Chief know."

Chloe stepped back and nodded gently in agreement. "Thank you. I look forward to my new career as a waitress."

Rachel smiled a little bit, unable to picture Chloe in a apron and taking orders for customers. "I can't tell if you're being serious or not but listen, once you get home and find a new job, let me know? I'll want to stop by and visit you."

"Understood. Permission to be dismissed, Madam President?"

"Permission granted. Take care of yourself Chloe."

Chloe stepped back, turned around and exited Rachel's office without saying a word. Rachel leaned back in the chair and sighed.

"Well. Chloe's back to normal but she quit. I hope she'll be happy doing whatever and I hope it's worth it..."

Rachel went ahead and began the dismissal papers for Chloe, knowing she'd appreciate it. When she was done she returned to writing out her report, trying hard not to let her mind wader and think about Chloe's motive to quit the CIA.

 

* * *

 **Time:**  1:00 AM

 **Location:**  Unknown

* * *

 

The company wasn't terribly shook by Chloe's decision to leave. Given with her injuries and her evaluation, it didn't comes as surprise. She was young and had potential to be "normal". In reality, Chloe's mind was not focused on settling down back home and finding a comfy job somewhere. It was all just a cover up for her true intentions. Kidnapping Max and throwing her in the car wasn't fun. She couldn't use her sling and had to move both arms. The one Ivan fractured still hurt, as did her stomach wound but she overlooked all of it for Max.

Max was happily sleeping in her room at the CIA agency when Chloe approached the grand building. Chloe turned in her badge, but she held back on some of the gadgets that she knew wouldn't be missed. Chloe wasn't stupid, and she knew if she re-entered the building, there would be cameras everywhere. Which is exactly why she planted deactivation fields all around the building before Rachel finalized her papers. All she had to do was reach in her pocket and press the button on the small remote device. After pressing the switch, every camera, both exposed and hidden went out. Infiltration from that point on was so much easier. Chloe disposed of the guards blocking the entrance to Max's room with ease. They didn't see or hear Chloe come in from the shadows. Her knock out techniques were powerful and once she struck the pressure points, they hit the floor, out cold. She used one of the guards card keys to swipe in the card reader, giving her access to Max's room. She went right into the bedroom, spotted Max on the bed and quickly rushed over to her.

"Hey Hippie. Miss me?"

Max was fast asleep so she didn't reply to Chloe's hushed question. Chloe reached in her jacket’s side pocket and pulled out a small can of sleeping spray. One squirt in Max's face and she fell into a deeper sleep, one that would keep her knocked out for hours. Chloe carefully gathered all of Max's items into a duffle bag, slung the duffle bag over her shoulder, then gently picked Max up off the bed and into her arms. Without making a sound, Chloe stealthily made her escape through a secret entrance only she and Rachel knew about. Her fractured arm throbbed the entire time Chloe carried Max from her room, down the staircase and out into the ally way where her vehicle was parked. She loaded Max in the passenger seat, buckled her in, placed the duffle bag in the back seat then hopped in the driver's seat. She carefully rode out of the ally way and off to their next destination. If Mark Jefferson wanted Max he'd have to find them. Chloe intended to fall off the grid and she knew the perfect place they could do that without drawing any attention.

Many hours later, Max came to and wasn't sure where she was. She groaned as she sat up then felt something pull her back down. She blinked open sleepy eyes, wondering what it could have been. Raising her head she saw exactly who had forced her back down and in the heat of her excitement, cuddled closer and began nuzzling Chloe to wake her up. Chloe took a deep breath and cracked one eye open. Max kissed it back shut, making Chloe chuckle.

"Someone's happy to see me."

"Dork. I thought you had worried me there for a minute."

Chloe cupped Max's face with her hands and gazed sleepily into her eyes. "I'm incapable of leaving you alone."

Max's features softened as she leaned a little into Chloe's touch. She softly, but firmly whispered back, "Then  _don't_. I'm also incapable of letting you go. But that's just because I'm selfish and got used to you always being there. This past week was... awful without you, Chloe."

Chloe brought their foreheads together and rested against her like that, glad to finally have Max all to herself again. "The feelings mutual."

Chloe let go of Max's face and lowered her head back down into the pillows. Max took a moment to glance around the room. She didn't recognize the style or the environment.

"Where are we, Chloe?"

"Oh... umm... well..."

Chloe opened her mouth and started to tell Max when the door to the room opened. Max remained on top of Chloe and Chloe kept still, not bothered by being caught by this particular individual.

"Max! I'm so glad you're awake. Are you hungry?"

Max's eyes gradually widened and her mouth dropped. "You didn't..."

She breathed slowly glancing down at Chloe. Chloe blushed and nodded shyly, not even ashamed of herself.

"Oh. But I did. Max. Welcome to my home away from home. AKA, the lighthouse I grew up in as baby."

"We're at a lighthouse?"

Chloe yawned, stretched her good arm high above her head then leaned in and started nuzzling Max, right in front of mother. Joyce just smiled, finding Chloe's affection towards Max very sweet.

"We moved out of here but dad never sold it. He kept it as a safe house of sorts for us as a family if we ever needed a getaway. When I explained to mom that I needed to disappear for a while, she dismissed the bodyguards and asked for privacy for a few days and promised to call them if she suspected she was being targeted."

Max closed her mouth and found herself staring in awe at the girl nuzzling her. "You did all of this... for me?"

Chloe leaned back and the two girls looked at each other. "No silly. I did it for us. And once I get to feeling better. We’ll do some stuff together that you like, ‘kay?" Chloe yawned again and Max watched her get comfortable under the sheets. "My meds are kicking in again. Go with mom. She'll feed you well."

Max smiled slightly and gave Chloe a quick peck on the cheek. "Sure thing. And Chloe?"

"Hmm?" Chloe hummed, shutting her eyes softly.

"Thanks for coming for me."

Chloe was out and fell asleep without meaning to. Knowing she needed the rest, Max gently tucked Chloe then she carefully got off the bed, in fearing of hurting Chloe's wound. She pattered over to Joyce and beamed up at the woman she had already claimed as a second mother.

"She said you'd feed me?"

Joyce laughed. "Yes Max. I will feed you. Come with me and I'll whip you up something tasty." Joyce put her arm around Max and walked with her to the kitchen. "Thank you for being my daughter's support and friend in all of this."

Max blushed, flattered by the comment. "You're welcome. She's a wonderful friend and despite how we met, I'm glad we did. I think the world of her."

"I can tell. So Max, do you like bacon and eggs or Belgium waffles?"

"Can I have both?"

Joyce laughed again and this time, it sounded exactly like Chloe's. "Yes you can."

For the first time in a long while, Max genuinely felt happy and safe. Wounded or not, Chloe was powerful and a skilled fighter and Max was convinced Chloe would defend her. Max knew there was danger waiting for them but for now, it felt great to not care and be pampered by an adult that wasn't trying to kill them.


	7. Episode 7: Clues

**Time:**  9:45 AM

 **Location:**  Gulf Of Maine, Seguin Island - Seguin Light (Living Room)

* * *

 

Max had been living peacefully at the Seguin Light for a few weeks now and it all seemed like a fantasy compared to how her life started at Blackwell. Ever since Blackwell, Max had been a target for so many people. It was nice to finally relax and not worry about death for a while. Her parents were properly informed by Chloe of her newest whereabouts and Chloe insisted that she remain in her protective custody until she could get to the bottom of who was after Max. Not just that but any rival groups that were also hunting her down and wanted to silence them once and for all. Vanessa and Ryan weren't sure what Chloe meant but each adult assumed she was hinting death and lots of it. They weren't in agreement to this arrangement because Chloe admitted she had resigned as a CIA agent and was operating as a rogue, taking matters into her own hands. Their answer was going to be not, until Chloe allowed Max to talk to her parents about what she wanted. Max was making it pretty clear Chloe was an important factor in her life and there was no safer person she'd rather be around or trust her life to. The Caulfields were nervous but in the end, they gave Joyce and Chloe their word they would keep Max's whereabouts a secret if and when a CIA agent came knocking on their door and place their complete trust in Chloe's skills to keep their little girl safe.

Max ate the last bite of her food and so full by the end of her meal, she had to lay down on the couch in the living room. Joyce grabbed her cup of coffee and went to go sit down beside her.

"So Chloe told me... you're the Maxine Caulfield my husband protected."

Max winced and sat up on the couch, not surprised Joyce was the first one to make a move. From the moment Joyce laid on eyes on Max in the hospital room, she recognized her. It was hard to forget a precious face like Max Caulfield. Joyce wasn't going to be mean and go off on a tangent and blame Max for the death of her husband. She had more sense than that and understood that William's CIA life was a secret for a reason. He didn't let her and Chloe in on what he was doing so they didn't have to worry. Which was exactly why Chloe had kindly asked her to act like she didn't know anything about it and to play it safe.

"Yes. I'm that Maxine Caulfield. Umm... did you want to talk... about it?"

Joyce arched her eyebrows in surprise. She hadn't expected Max to be so willing to open up like that. Before she could tell her what she wanted to do, Chloe came slumping into the living room, hand under her shirt and scratching at the wrapped area where her wound was healing. It was itching and the bandage was starting to itch her too. Her hair was messy, sticking out in all sorts of directions and there were dark bags under her eyes. Max saddened, wondering if Chloe had been doing some "late night watching" when she and Joyce weren't looking.

"Chloe. What have I told you about walking around like that? It's not ladylike."

Chloe rolled her eyes and went right into the kitchen. Still scratching at her stomach, she opened the refrigerator door, saw what she wanted and grabbed the half gallon of milk off the shelf. She kicked the door shut, went over to the counter and set the half gallon on milk on it momentarily. Still using one hand, she twisted the cap off, tossed it somewhere then tipped her head back as she chugged the remains of the milk down her throat. Joyce could have killed her. If there was  _one_  thing that drove Joyce Price nuts, it was people drinking from the jug of any liquid product she brought into the house.

"Chloe we have glasses in this house. Why can't use just pour yourself a glass and use it instead of contaminating the entire jug like that? William did that too and I see his bad habits have influenced yours."

Max perked up seeing the fight break out between Joyce and her daughter. Chloe mumbled under her breath and reluctantly agreed to use a glass from now on but Joyce kept pointing out more flaws and Chloe had to stand there and listen to every single one of them.

"And would it  _kill_  you to pick up after yourself? Even here, you've turned your room into a pig's stye. Every week it seems to get a little more worse. For example..."

"You're still going at it?"

Chloe growled, narrowing her eyes. Max drew her knees up and kept observing, loving every second of their banter. Joyce made a show of glancing around the room, looking for something of Chloe's. Spotting a single sock, she went over to, hunched down and swiped it up. She walked right up to Chloe and used a polite voice on purpose.

"Oh look. It's a lone smelly sock. However did it get here? Hmm. I don't know. Maybe I should..."

Joyce leaned in and raised her voice, making Chloe wince.

" _Pick it up!_ "

Chloe cracked one eye half way open and raised an eyebrow, not surprised to see that her mother was dangling the sock in front of her face.

"Is this a hint?"

Chloe asked, unphased by her mother's tatic to get her to stop being slothful and so messy. Joyce threw the sock at Chloe's face and walked back into the kitchen, shaking her head.

"I bust my hide and break my neck trying to keep you two safe and this is the thanks I get? Love you too mom."

Chloe flopped down on the couch, hand still under her shirt and exposing her middle. Joyce saw it and barked at Chloe again, this time for indency.

"For God's sake, put your shirt down and act like you've been here before!"

Chloe did and threw her arms up in frustration.

"We're all girls, aren't we?! What's the difference?!"

Joyce pointed a finger at Chloe and reeled back in astonishment.

"We have a guest. Max doesn't need to see you flash your skin  _or_  sex appeal."

Chloe blushed from embarrassment and attempted to defend herself.

"I'm a modest person, mom. For my undercover personality, I was required to fit in and look the part of a cover girl rebel. Geeze. You make it sound like I enjoyed being wild and loose... it was Rachel's idea, remember? I was against it from the start."

"I don't care. You still agreed to go along with it. You may be able to get away with this sort of behavior as a CIA agent, around Rachel and your new friends at Blackwell. But you will  _not_  act like a lazy bum who isn't educated in my house. Got it?"

Chloe leaned back into the couch with a sigh and stiffly nodded her head in response to the strict bylaws her mother was laying out.

"Yeah, yeah. Okay. Got it."

Joyce turned around and started to prepare a plate of food for Chloe, done with the argument.

"You two fight like an old married couple."

Chloe crossed her arms and shot Max a tired, offended look. Chloe's features softened when Max leaned into her and rested her head on Chloe's shoulder.

"Hey. Whatcha doing?"

Max's eyes fluttered open and she glanced up and caught Chloe's stare.

"Wondering if I'll ever be safe again..."

Max turned her head away and slumped, but Chloe brought her head back.

"Hey. C'mere."

Chloe wrapped her arms around Max and lifted her up and onto her lap. Max sat there, head down, eyes clouding with noticeable tears. Chloe traced her finger around her face, slowly dragging up to her slightly stressed and puffy eyes. With a soft hooking motion she caught a tear. Max's eyes lit up in a fluster.

"You're crying aga-"

"No I'm not!"

Max inisted, embarrassed to be so emotional every time she got upset. Chloe's features softened and she offered the other girl a crooked grin.

"You could've... tried to lie better than that."

"I'm not!"

Max turned her head away and more tears began to fall.

"I'm not..."

Chloe wrapped her arms around Max and hushed her softly, humming a small tune to calm her a bit. Max clung to Chloe's jacket, sobbing hysterically in her embrace.

"Hush little Maxie, don't say a word. Chloe's gonna punch all of those turds."

Max snorted in the middle of her crying from Chloe's parody. She snuggled in her embrace, her eyelids grew heavy from how draining crying was. However, the tears still rolled.

"And if those turds don't shut up like you wish, Chloe's gonna give them a knuckle-sandwich."

"Your rhyming sucks."

Max muttered then chuckled hearing Chloe's loud sigh.

"What's that gotta do with a crybaby?"

"I cry because your pits reek."

"Come again? I can't hear you over these pits."

Chloe placed Max into an armlock, her nose right under her arms. Max squealed and pretended to be grossed out but Chloe actually, smelled wonderful. The blue-nette noticed Max closing her eyes again and snuggling into the armlock.

"That's a weird thing to do Max. Just saying. Is this a Seattle girl thing? Or am I just lucky?"

"You're no better. Leave me to sniff."

Max mumbled as she curled in Chloe's jacket and sighed sleepily. Chloe hugged her as tight as she could.

"You're okay, Max. I'll make sure of it. I'll protect you, no matter what. Even if it means my life."

Max closed her eyes and smiled, touched by the words.

"In every timeline we've lived in, you've reassured me like this."

Chloe smiled brightly, looking down at her.

"What does that mean?"

Chloe asked, tilting her head to the side. Thinking Max was just saying something deep and being weird on random, Chloe went with it, acting like she understood what Max was saying.

"Wait. Wouldn't that just mean I'm dependable in every 'timeline'?"

Max looked up at her with flushed cheeks and a tired smile.

"Yeah, right. Let's go with that."

"Welp. I tried."

Chloe held Max until she nodded off with her, right there on the couch. Joyce came over and shook Chloe's shoulder awake. Chloe jerked and came to and gradually raised her eyes to meet her mother's smiling face.

"Hungry?"

Chloe nodded then yawned as she leaned forward and rested her chin on Max's head.

"Yeah. Starving."

Joyce arched an eyebrow and looked down at Chloe's stomach then back at Chloe.

"What?"

Joyce set the plate on the coffee table and shrugged a shoulder.

"Nothing. I just think being at Blackwell has softened you around the edges a little bit. That's all."

Chloe gasped loudly and snapped her eyes over to mother's retreating into the kitchen.

"Mom take that back!"

Joyce just walked away.

"Are you going to take back your friendship with Max?"

Chloe hugged Max closer and Max smiled a little in her sleep feeling Chloe increase her hold around her.

"Never."

Joyce lifted her hands and shot Chloe a smirk over her shoulder.

"Then neither shall I take back what I said. Because it's true."

Chloe rolled her eyes and went back to snuggling Max. After she ate, she would have to get ready to go out and continue her little investigation. A side adventure she had no intention of telling her mother or Max about. She gave Max about ten minutes or so then carefully untangled herself from Max's grip. She stretched her out on the couch, grabbed the blanket off the back of the couch then tucked it around Max's body with caring hands.

"Sleep well, Max."

Chloe whispered, lowering her head and placing a gentle kiss on Max's cheek. She ran her hand through Max's hair until she was satisfied, grabbed her plate of food, ate it then went upstairs to pack a survival bag for her trip. When everything was in order, Chloe left a note on the dinner table for mother, saying she had business to see to in another state and to take care of Max until she got back. Chloe had guns, knives, explosives and all other sorts of gadgets that would come in handy for her mission. Keeping the spies away from the house was easy but tiring. If she wanted unwanted guests lurking around on  _her_ family's property and to stay far away from Max, she needed to confront the ringleader behind it all.

Sean Prescott.

He wanted Max. And it was high time Chloe went to go check in and find out why.

* * *

 

Driving to St. Louis Illinois was a long, exhausting experience. Chloe drove straight through and made very few stops. As she merged onto the interstate highway that would take her to East, Chloe glanced up instinctively and saw that were was a black Mustang following her.

"What the..."

Chloe muttered as she slowly took a right, watching as the vehicle followed suit. Her eyebrows furrowed as she hesitantly turned out of the lane and the Mustang helted behind her. The windows shaded far too dark for even a hawk to see who was in there.

"Oh no you don't."

Chloe scoffed dryly, stepping on the gas and making a zip for it. Keeping one hand on the steering wheel Chloe navigated the vehicle and was in the process leaning over and reaching into the glove compartment top get one of her newest guns when her cell phone went off. Chloe grumbled under her breath, wondering who could possibly be calling at such a later hour of the early morning. She patterned around on the dashboard, feeling around for the smartphone. Finally, Chloe felt her hand make contact with it and she snatched it up. She glancing down at the screen, unlocked it and quickly put the screen to her ear.

"H-Hello?"

" _Hey you."_

Rachel called to Chloe with her naturally soothing voice.

" _It's Rachel. I haven't heard from you since your resignation from the force. Are you doing okay? How has the insomnia been? Any better since quitting? Oh yeah. Real quick before I forget, did you ever get a new job? Where is it, if you did so I can come visit you!"_

Rachel sounded so happy and carefree, oblivious to the action going on in her soulmate's life. Chloe started to reply back to her but had to glance up to check to see what her opponent was going to do next. In the rearview mirror, Chloe eyes widened slightly seeing the driver's window of the Mustang peel down and a hand with a gun stick out. Chloe's jaw dropped and she wondered if he was actually going to open fire, right there in the middle of the highway.

" _Chloe? Are you even listening to me?"_

Chloe squinted one eye and made a "O" shape with her mouth.

"Honey this is really not the time to-"

Just then, the owner of the gun fired at Chloe's tires. She jerked the steering wheel sharply into another lane, carefully making sure not to crash into other cars. Cars that she hoped would not get caught up in the chase. More gunfire rang out, all directed at her. The left mirror got blown off and Chloe let out an angry cry, one that Rachel heard.

"You did  _not_  just blow off my left mirror! I just  _bought_  this Silverado and you blew the left mirror off it?! It's not even a twelve weeks old!"

She rolled down the window and put the phone to her chest to muffle the volume of her voice.

"When I get off the phone you are a  _dead_ man, do you hear me?!"

The driver holding the gun responded to Chloe's threat by shooting at her face. Chloe stuck her head back in, barely managing to avoid getting shot. She swerved, avoiding more bullets and nearly got rear ended by a semi. She sped up and got back in the orginal lane she needed to be in and the Mustang was nowhere to be seen.

" _Are those gunshots?!"_

Rachel stood up so fast from her chair she knocked it over. Arching an eyebrow, Rachel's features hardened hearing more sounds of gunfire and Chloe's tires screeching in the background. Chloe didn't buy it. Someone clearly wanted to stop her from going to see Sean Prescott. And before the day was over, she was going to find that Mustang and find out who.

_"Chloe, what the blazes is going on?!"_

"Hold on! Busy with changing lanes! Traffic is really bad today."

Just as Chloe decided to take a detour and go on a much more quiet, low traffic route and thought she was home free, the black Mustang came zooming off a hill and landed right behind Chloe's truck. Rachel was in the middle of asking Chloe where she was at but got cut off by Chloe's angry outburst.

"What the what?! Where did he even come from?"

Now Rachel knew something was seriously wrong. She walked away from her desk and over to stand by the window, feeling herself starting to panic.

" _Chloe, what is going on-"_

"You did  _not_  just shoot out my back window! I just paid to have it tinted!"

" _Chloe! Answer me!"_

"It was my cat in the back seat."

Chloe threw out randomly, no longer concerned in trying to conceal the truth of her situation. Chloe sounded so serious it was ridiculous. Rachel moved the phone away and stared at it with narrowed, insulted eyes.

" _A cat can shoot things now?"_

"Sure. And squirrels like to stash nuts in creepy janitor closets with magazines while we're at it."

" _Who is attacking you? Stop avoiding me and just tell me who's after you."_

"Sound dude in a Mustang."

_"Mustang?"_

Rachel pressed her forehead against the window, curious to learn another detail.

 _"_ _Does it have a crucifix emblem on the front, right down the middle of the hood?"_

Chloe leaned out dangerously to see but she had to quickly dip her head back in to focus on the road.

"Yeah. Why?"

 _"_ _T_ _hat's a Prescott car!"_

Chloe winced, hating to see that her cover up mission might be blown. She didn't let Rachel know she was going to see Sean. Not yet and hopefully, the one chasing her wasn't someone trying to prevent her from seeing Sean. She did call him on her way to Illinois and agreed to meet him on peaceful terms, no strings attached if he was willing to listen to her. Chloe was pleased Sean wanted to meet with her and gave his word none of his men would attack her. If that was so, what was up with the Mustang?

"How do you know?"

 _"_ _Had to meet up with their people to get drugs a few times, duh. They sell the best cut in the area at reasonable prices. I don't care if they're our competition. A fix is a fix, no matter who it comes from."_

Chloe stared blankly ahead, refusing to comment and Rachel continued.

 _"_ _I may have kept this a secret from you and the others but you can't say anything. You who paid Nomad to keep your hideout a secret from everyone as well. That and you had to get fixes to and knew what it was like when you didn't have a joint in your hand."_

"Touche. But you know, that was for personal use. I'm not some kind of pretty blue social butterfly that likes to be around the masses. As for my pot addiction, that's your fault Amber. I only smoked the stuff to fit in among the Vortex Club, remember? I haven't touched the stuff since Thanksgiving break. Wow, Thanksgiving. I forgot all about that. These past few weeks have been such a blur of events. But I mean, when death comes knocking you do what you gotta do."

" _I can't say I'm surprised you're being stalked and shot at as a normal citizen. You_ _ **are**_ _one of the CIA's note worthy poster girls. That and uh... you're William Price's kid."_

Chloe rolled her eyes and decided she'd had enough avoiding the idiot in the Mustang. She was going to face him head on.

"Yeah. I know. Listen, I'm gonna hop off here and get some answers. Or maybe some clues as to why a member of the Prescott clan is jumping me like this. I mean, I haven't even talked their boss yet and offended him. We had an agreement and everything. Guess I spoke too soon."

Chloe didn't  _mean_  to let that minor detail slip. In the heat of the moment it just sort of happened. Rachel's eyes widened.

" _You're going to talk to Sean Prescott? By yourself? Chloe! No!"_

"Uhh—love you, bye!"

Chloe hung up and did herself a favor by turning the smartphone off. No more distractions. No more anything. It was just her and the Mustang. She looked around, making sure no oncoming vehicles were around then did a sharp u-turn. The driver in the Mustang hit the breaks, realizing what Chloe was about to do. To her shock and disappointment, the driver turned his car around and booked it in the opposite direction. Chloe's pupils dilated and she hit the brake pedal, abruptly halting her vehicle. She sat there for a moment, torn on what she should do.

"You... destroyed my truck... almost caused several innocent lives to wreck then run from me when I wanna challenge you to Chicken? It. Is. On."

Chloe gruffly grabbed the stick shift, and thrust it up into a gear that would make the truck zoom down the road. She caught up to the to the Mustang in no time. Chloe leaned over, opened the glove compartment and retrieved her Beretta 93R. She wanted to use her CZ Scorpion EVO 3 S1 Pistol, but that was in the travel bag, tucked away along with other nice weapons. Besides. The Beretta 93R was the memento keepsake of her father.

William's gun.

Chloe rarely used it but when she did, people either died or she shot things to create explosions.

"Now to end this..."

Chloe took perfect aim, blew out all three tires and delighted in seeing the Mustang spin out of control and barrel roll itself off to the side. Right over a guardrail. Chloe wasn't satisfied. She pulled over, tucked her gun away on her belt, got of the truck. Chloe slammed the door and walked around the truck, grumbling her complaints to the man outloud. She knew he probably couldn't hear her but it didn't matter. She needed to vent and it was also the principle of the thing.

"I let the ambush at Portland go during Thanksgiving Break. I shrugged off Ivan and his little cheerleader squad. I suffered a massive blow for my assignment and bore the wrath of my superiors..."

Chloe hurdled over the guardrail and landed gracefully on her feet. She carefully scaled down the hillslope and made her way over to the wrecked vehicle, still barking her fury at her opponent.

"I put up with the nonsense of an evaluation that really,  _really_  rubbed me wrong and tested my patience. But blast it all. That was my  _truck!_  The extension of my soul and you went and busted it up to pieces!"

The dark skinned man in the flipped over Mustang crawled out of it on his hands and knees. He was pretty scraped and bruised up and Chloe could see the effects of the damage even from a distance. He was bleeding from the head and had tiny cuts all over his face and across his hands. He huffed and coughed a few times, struggling to get his breath back. As he was doubled over on his hands and knees, swaying terribly when all of a sudden, he was jerked upright by Chloe's angry hand. She latched onto his hair, sunk the tip of her fingertips into his scalp and without little effort, thrust him up off the turned him around and just because she could, she punched him, right between the eyes. He howled out in pain and she allowed him to suffer the blow and feel it's effects for a moment. When the pain settled in his nose, Chloe thrust him close to her face. Through gritted teeth, she growled in a low and dangerous voice,

"Who. Sent. You?"

The man wouldn't answer her. He assumed it would be obvious to trained profesional like Chloe, who sent him to finish after her. When Chloe didn't receive an answer, she walked over to a tree and roughly shoved him up the bark, hoping the rough edges of the wood would get his attention. If that didn't work, Chloe's increase in strength, eyes going stark light blue and sparkling around the edges did. The man was stricken with fear. He knew Chloe's profile like the back of his hand.  _Most_  people sent after Chloe knew her background and her career status with the CIA. What he was looking at now, was not a Chloe on file and unlike anything he had ever known her to be.

"What... are you?"

He asked between small gasps of air. Chloe's grip around his neck hadn't loosened up and he was sure she was slowly suffocating him to death.

"Are you... a Mutagen?"

Chloe's eyes narrowed and she cackled darkly.

"Ha... you think I'm a natural Mutagen? It would be  _so_  much easier if I were."

The man's eyes brows arched up in alarm hearing the double pitch in in Chloe's voice. She sounded like herself but had a undertone to it that made her voice echo somewhat. Leaning in, she pressed her cheek to his and whispered smoothly into his ear,

"I'm what you call Project Hurricane, a research my old man did for the CIA branch in Germany."

The man swallowed with difficulty and it was becoming more and more harder for him to breath. His hands trembling hands came up and clamped around Chloe's wrists. He tried to pry her hands off from around his neck, but it felt like he was trying to uncoil solid brick and cement fingers.

"Hurricane is a drug my father made, allowing a human to be on the level like that of a Mutagen. The difference? I'm artificially fused with Mutagen attributes. Super hearing, super strength, advanced eyesight, quick recovery, skin regeneration... you get the idea. See, my dad had a lot of secrets he kept from me and mom. Including the shot he injected me with as a baby... something about wanting to assure my survival if and when something bad were happen to him? I hate that I had to find his journal in his room at the CIA and learn all of this  _after_  his death, three years later. Sucks. It really made me question my father's motives, intentions and his overall humanity. Playing God isn't usually a strong point for humans. It tends to have set backs, many that leave the victims scarred and damaged forever. I'm living proof of that. "

With a wicked grin forming on her face, Chloe did something rather low. She tossed the helpless man to the side, to demonstrate her level of power. He skidded to a painful halt, right into a thorny thicket of bushes and rocks. While he screamed and struggled in the prickly thorns of the wild, Chloe went over to the Mustang and decided to investigate for herself since the man was making it obvious he would rather die than rat on his people. Bowing her head slightly, Chloe reached up to move a flapping strand of now, platinum white hair behind her ear. It was pointless to do that but she did so out of habit. Whenever she phased into her glorified body, her hair changed color and moved around by the waves fromer power until she returned to normal.

"All right. Time to see if you have any useful for me to look over."

Ignoring the man's cries in the background, Chloe knelt down and using one hand, turned the Mustang rightside up like it was nothing. It was heavily damaged and the roof was partly smashed in. She rose up, popped her neck and went to work. She put two arms though the window and punched up the roof with her balled up fists. The metal raised and when enough of it wasn't covering the front seat, Chloe took a step back then took hold of the crooked door handle. Grunting, she  _broke_  the car door off its hinges and tossed it to the side, not caring where it landed. She poked her head inside and started a thorough search of the upper front. Within minutes, she found a folder under the passenger seat with a safe box. She removed the items and went to go sit on a convenient boulder by a Pine Tree. The folder contained detailed intel about herself, her mission at Blackwell clear up to her ressigment from the CIA and... her love interest in Golden Hour and that they had fallen off the grid together. Chloe squinted her eyes and shook her in disgust.

"Really? Even the competition thinks I'm head over heels in love with Max?"

Chloe raised her eyes to the sky, considering everyone's perception of their relationship.

"I mean, I  _guess_  it looks like it but we're not together like that and if and when I find the punks who typed up this insulting-"

Chloe closed the folder and set it down beside her.

"But  _very_ detailed report about me, I will personally confront them and help them change their mind. At least the Prescott's don't know where Max and my mother are. That's a relief. Now what do we have here?"

Chloe picked up the safe box and slammed her fist down on the lid. It busted apart under the pressure, exposing the contents on the inside. Chloe frowned, expecting to see something scandalous or helpful. Instead she saw a basic, red cell phone. She took it out and dropped the destroyed safe box and was surprised to find it had no safety lock feature and was completely accessible. She opened the contact list immediately, hoping to find some names she recognized. Her eyes scanned a number of people but stopped on one name in particular Chloe wasn't expecting to see. The agonized groans of the man had subsided so Chloe reasoned he had died or was resting his vocal chords. Not concerned with his life in the slightest, Chloe took the red cell phone and made her ascent up the hill. As she walked, she shifted back to normal, eye color and all. She got in her truck, buckled up and resumed her drive into East St. Louis. Chloe was certain she wasn't being followed, she kept an extra watch on the road. Half way into the mega city, Chloe called the contact of interest, eager to learn his side of things.

" _Berry, I'm surprised to hear from you so soon. Did you manage to capture and detain Agent Price?"_

Chloe felt herself smirk hearing a voice from her past she had thought would have been long dead and gone by now.

"Sorry Nathan. Berry isn't here."

The sharp hiss she heard come from Nathan made Chloe's lips curl up even more in amusement.

" _No. Way. Price! Not again!"_

"Long time no see Nate. Question. Didn't you go rouge a while back and have a hit on you from your old man? Surely you're not trying to protect him from me? Your dad and I have agreed to talk like civil people for a change."

" _That's none of your business, Price..."_

Chloe laughed and her grin returned.

"When you send goons to hunt me down and write about me, I think that qualifies as my business. Sorry that you're so low on the competition chain that your own family doesn't want you around. Sucks to be the black sheep, huh Nate?"

Nathan scoffed.

" _Assuming Berry is dead, I take it you're still bent on seeing my father?"_

Chloe nodded.

"Of course. So don't send anymore distractions after me, 'kay? Not unless you want me to ship them back to you in body bags."

Nathan's sigh sounded remorseful with a hint of annoyance.

"What's wrong?"

Chloe asked, eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

" _Despite that I'm rouge and have nothing to do with my father or his shady activities, there's a reason I sent Berry after you. You see... Berry wasn't supposed to kill you. Just disable you enough to where he could bring you to me personally."_

"If that's your reason, why did he shoot at me? If you wanted me Nathan, you could have contracted me personally."

" _I tried. All the people I sent in the past you killed personally or ran off."_

Chloe sighed deeply, unable to defend herself against the accusation.

"Yeah? I probably did. It comes with being paranoid about keeping myself and my loved ones safe, Nathan. You should know that better than anyone."

" _Listen. Since you're entering East St. Louis, it's too late to try and convince you to turn around. So I'm just going to go ahead and tell you what's already happened prior to you coming this far."_

"Oh yeah? What could you have to say to me that would possibly-"

Nathan interrupted her with some grave news that Chloe didn't see coming.

"My father? Sean Prescott... is dead."

Chloe's eyes widened and did herself a favor by pulling into a commercial parking lot so she could take that in some more.

"What did you say?"

Nathan sighed and there was a slight pause before he quietly added,

" _My father is dead. His right hand found him in his office last night, bullet in the forehead. Let's just say, someone we both hate, caught wind of your all's meeting and didn't want you to talk to him. And no, it wasn't me. Like I said, I've been trying to get your attention for a while now. The punk who killed my father, knows about you and your connection to Golden Hour."_

Chloe stiffened at the mention of Max's name. She sobered, feeling slightly defensive about the situation and wasn't sure why.

"What does Golden Hour have to do with your father's assassination?"

Nathan laughed but his laughter didn't sound happy. It sounded twisted and quite ironic, like he had been asked that question before and was slowly losing his sanity because of it.

" _Price, Golden Hour has **everything**  to do with his death and other events playing out in Arcadia Bay. See, when I was working with my dad, you and I shared the same contact for intel."_

Chloe arched an eyebrow.

"We did?"

Chloe sounded surprised and Nathan took note of it.

" _Yes. This person was playing your group and my father's clan at the same time. However, I didn't discover this until I quit and went rouge. So let me break this down real quick like. Somehow, somewhere, the informant and I got close and started talking about several, different interests of ours. Our relationship grew during this time and while I was staking out in the town and learning things for my old man, he calls me up and proposes a business deal to me, expecting to pass the offer along to my father. When I asked why, the informant told me he wanted Golden Hour for his... personal galleries and the more I heard, the scadier I got. I threatened him, told him if he didn't drop his obsession over the Time Wielder, I would end him. I guess I spooked him off because next thing I know, he's getting all the more closer with your people and asking for the same deal. Difference? You all helped him partly achieve his goal. You have Golden Hour in your possession and as far as he's concerned, he's paid you upfront so the CIA owes him Golden Hour. But oh wait. That's right. You kidnapped her and are hiding her from everyone. Including him. From what my sources say, he would prefer the route you've chosen so he can conduct business better with you, one-on-one. He may not know where you're at but he'll find you and when he does, I assure you, he's going to take Golden Hour from you. Whether you hand her over or he has to do it by force."_

Chloe leaned back into her seat with a sigh and glanced at her window. She watched the cars pass her in the parking lot and couldn't help but feel used.

"Mark Jefferson... right?"

" _Yeah. Jerk killed my father and I'm pretty sure he's hunting me down but too bad for him, I know how to hide and cover my tracks well."_

Chloe ran a hand through her hair, mulling Nathan's words around in her mind and carefully planning out her next steps.

"Why would Mark Jefferson kill your dad? I thought you said he was working for you guys too? Wasn't Sean and Mark on good terms? From the sound of it, it doesn't look like they were."

" _Oh yeah. They were fine. It was I, who had a problem with Mark. I went to my father when Mark admitted to me what he wanted Golden Hour for."_

Chloe raised an eyebrow and blinked rapidly.

"And what did he want her for?"

" _He wanted her to freeze girls for his gallery. Golden Hour's power is so great, it won't wear off, where she's the highest in her Class. The only way her power stops, is if she herself stops it. The fate of Mark's gallery literally would depend on if he could control Golden Hour's power and for the record, he has the tech do it. He showed it to me... in his Dark Room."_

Chloe made a pained face.

"Dude, I don't like where this is going."

" _It's because I saw what it did in the Dark Room, I wanted out of the clan. I told my father everything I saw in that place and that keeping someone like Mark as an informant was suicide. My father was interested in the Time Wielders, **not** in my warnings. He just wanted something to add to his collection, something to admire and keep for himself. I wasn't feeling that either so I quit and cut ties with him. Those loyal to me, went with me and those loyal to my father, stayed with him. Mark killed my father to prevent you and him from meeting. And before you ask how would I know that. Mark purposely left evidence of his 'work' behind."_

"Uhh... what do you mean?"

Nathan paused for a long moment then spoke up but his voice was much more softer, fragile almost.

" _He... had a Time Wielder freeze him... after he was killed. No one other person we know of, has Time Wielders in their custody. Mark Jefferson does and he's the only man in the United States who has Time Wielders, in case you didn't know. Did you... know that, Price?"_

Chloe bit her lower lip, sensing Nathan's hurt over the loss of his father. He played the role of a tough rouge killer very well but that hesitation just now was real. Nathan was bothered at how Mark handled the situation and she genuinely felt bad for him.

"No."

She whispered, shutting her eyes.

"I didn't know. Rachel suspected Mark was into some illegal stuff but couldn't prove it to our Chief. This right here, exposes Mark Jefferson for so much it's not even funny. Nathan... would you be willing to testify in court if we catch Mark and turn him over?"

Nathan hummed thoughtfully and Chloe's ears perked up when she heard him chuckle into the phone.

" _Sure. Why not? Do I get protection too?"_

Chloe rested her arm across the steering wheel and wagged her right knee back and forth playfully.

"Yeah, of course. But I've wasted a trip coming over here and need to go back to Max now. Just call the CIA branch in New York and tell them what you've told me. This will free the CIA from two things that work out in my favor. Now they won't have to turn over Max to a sicko and Rachel gets evidence."

" _And the second part?"_

Chloe's eyes slowly narrowed and she allowed her eyes to charge with her enhanced power. Her eyes glowed in the dark of her cab and she delighted in the power surging through her veins. She glanced up at the rear view mirror and studied her reflection, deciding she liked seeing herself amped out like that.

"I have a justified reason to find and stop Mark Jefferson once and for all."

" _I thought you were a good guy and didn't kill for sport?"_

"As a CIA agent, no. I wouldn't kill for sport. This is different. I said I would find and stop Mark, I never told you how I would do it. Even I know killing for the sake of killing is wrong. If Mark doesn't leave me any other option Nathan, I  _will_  destroy him and I won't think twice about it either. Now hurry up and get off here and hide yourself. You're vital to Rachel's case and you need to stay alive."

" _All right. I'll see you around then?"_

"Wait."

Chloe took a deep breath then slowly exhaled through her nostrils.

"Why  _did_  you want to find me and have me brought in? Surely it wasn't to inform me of all of this stuff? We could have done this over the phone or via email. So why did you-"

" _I wanted to see if the rumor of you knowing no equal in the bedroom was true or not before I died."_

Chloe caught her breath and blushed clear up to her ears.

"W-What? N-Nathan. Dude. Listen to me very closely. I haven't even slept with one man, much less a hoard of them to have no equal. Who told you this garbage?"

Nathan gave a hearty laugh and Chloe pulled the phone away so she could stare down at it in shock.

" _Not telling. Well, based on that reaction it wasn't even true so that source was a fluke. What a waste of men and time. Oh well. Worth a shot. Best get back to Maine and to your precious Golden Hour before someone else finds where she's at. I'll get up with Amber and let her know what we talked about. And no, I won't tell her you're hiding Golden Hour. Later Price."_

The dial tone that followed wasn't even enough to snap Chloe out of her embarrassment or make her regain her focus. Eventually, Chloe centered herself and found a cheat hotel to crash at for the night. She didn't sleep long and after a few hours, she was up and back on the road. Busted windows and all.

 

* * *

 

Coming home and having to wait for the ferry boat transport her to the lighthouse was maddening. Chloe missed Max and her mother more than she was willing to admit to herself. When Chloe finally reached the island, she started up her truck and rolled out of the ferry boat and quickly zoomed down the path that would take her to the lighthouse. Hearing the roaring of a diesel engine, Max's eyes snapped open and she sat up on Chloe's bed. She didn't care she was in her PJ's, Max swung her legs over the bed and took off. Joyce was reading the daily newspaper, sitting quietly at the kitchen table when Max came thundering the stairs and rushed out the backdoor. The back door slammed shut and on cue, Joyce timed Max squealing in delight over seeing her daughter. She chuckled and remained sitting still at the table with her news paper open.

"I see Chloe made it home safely from Illinois."

Joyce remarked softly to herself, turning the page and continuing her read in another column. Chloe hopped outside of the truck, travel bag flung lazily over her shoulder and was wearily making her way towards the lighthouse when Max came bursting through the backdoor, shouting her name. Chloe froze. Max was headed right for her and she didn't have time to think about what she wanted to do so she wound up setting her travel bag down and opening her arms in welcome to Max. Max tackled her so hard, Chloe lost her balance and fall over. She landed on her back with an audible thud. She groaned as she sat up and rubbed at the back of her now throbbing head. Max's arms were firm and secured around her neck. Chloe stood up with Max in her arms and giggled feeling Max bury her nose into the crook of her neck.

"Well. Someone missed me."

"You have  _no_  idea."

Chloe chuckled softly.

"Oh. I think I do."

Chloe stepped closer, smashing out any space between them. She wrapped her arms around Max and slothfully hid her face in Max's hair. She took a deep breath and inhaled the scent of Max's shampoo and both girls increased their hold around each other, grateful to be together again.

"You got me so whipped Caulfield. Hope you're proud of yourself."

Chloe mumbled, leaning back. Max giggled and brought her hands up to cup Chloe's face. They pressed their forehead together and gaze longingly into each other's eyes.

"Same. You were gone longer than a week. Your note said you'd be back before then."

Max bumped her forehead against Chloe's and puffed out her cheeks in a pout.

"Look who's whipped now."

Chloe laughed, but Max squeezed her tighter, making her choke on her laughter.

"Can we... cuddle tonight?"

At that precise moment, Chloe's advanced hearing picked up on a unwanted presence on a branch, not too far from where they were standing and a the distinctive loading of a thin bullet.

"Max close your eyes for a minute?"

"What? Why?"

Chloe pecked her on the forehead and leaned away, looking right in the direction of the sniper.

"Cuz' I asked you to? Now do it, please. I gotta take care of something and I don't want you to see it."

Max did as she was told and in one swift motion, Chloe reached own onto her belt, withdrew her 9mm with the silencer on it and shot the idiot who dared to interfere with her precious reunion with Max. Max grimaced hearing the soft release of the shot from Chloe's 9mm. Chloe wasn't sure who the person was or why they had come outside of the obvious. And it didn't matter. Where she shot him, he wouldn't be wake up and bother them anymore. The thud of a body falling in the distance brought a cruel, smirk to Chloe's lips. Lowering the gun, Chloe wrapped her arm back around Max and hugged her close. She placed a tender kiss on her forehead and clutched the 9mm in her hand, pleased with herself for protecting the one she held dear in her arms.

"Cuddling sounds nice, Max. Let's do it."

Max looked up at Chloe with an unamused expression on her face.

"The thought of you just shooting someone doesn't sound very nice."

"Shhhh, Max. He's sleeping too."

Max snorted and slapped Chloe's shoulder.

"You and your rude jokes!"

Chloe let go of Max, got her travel bag and together, the two entered the lighthouse. Chloe strode into the kitchen family pecked her mother on the mouth and gave her a quick nuzzle in greeting.

"I'm gonna head to bed. Can we catch up after I've had some time to recoup? I got a lot I need to tell you."

Joyce reached out and cupped Chloe's face and stroked it gently.

"Of course sweetie. Take all the time you need. I know the drill and I will stand watch as long as you need me to."

Chloe smiled slightly, too lazy to give her mother a full one.

"Thanks mom. Come on Max. Let's go do that thing we talked about."

Max scampered after Chloe and Joyce watched the girls head up stairs. She grinned after them and stood up from the dinner table.

"I suppose I can make some rounds and take out any garbage I find lying around that I might have missed."

After making sure she had her weapon and safety bullet proof vest, Joyce headed out the door do some scouting. When she came across the body under the tree, she quietly disposed of the body in the usual place and contacted the CIA this time. Too many people had been popping up and Joyce was convinced they would need to return to New York for their personal safety until whoever was hunting Chloe, either dropped dead or got bored of trying to kill her and chose to leave them alone. Chloe may not like that option, but Joyce would always pick safety over risks, especially when it came to her only child.

Upstairs in the comfort of her room, Chloe sat beside Max and snuggled her on the bed. Max slowly closed her eyes, becoming drowsy in the blue-nette's arms.

"Sleepy already? I just came back."

"Mmm-hmm."

Max replied in a daze.

"I missed your warmth... and your smell."

"There you go with that weird thing again. Is this a fetish?"

"It's only weird if you make it weird."

Max yawned, burying her face in the crook of Chloe's neck and pressing her pursed lips onto the skin.

"What are you doing Ma-"

Max made a loud and hard raspberry into Chloe's neck. Chloe screamed and flailed. Max cackled from her writhing for freedom and she ended up on top of Chloe.

"I thought this was supposed to be peaceful!?"

Chloe barked, shocked at the random turn of events.

"Deceived!"

Max lifted Chloe's shirt half way so she could press her lips on Chloe's soft stomach and blow raspberries once more. She was mindful of Chloe's wound, which was still patched over and blew everywhere but there. Chloe squealed and kicked for her life, laughing hysterically to the point of tears.

"Dude, I'll pee at this rate!"

"Better not be on me!"

Chloe desperately motioned at Max to stop.

"If you force my hand I will. How do you like those apples?"

"Ew. Gross."

Max laughed as she tossed Chloe away from her, causing the punk to fall off the bed.

"Whoa!"

"Oh no! Chloe!"

She scrambled to the edge to watch Chloe fall off the side, right onto her haunches.

"Oogh!"

Chloe grunted.

"'Oogh'? What a weird noise."

"I was caught off guard, leave it alone."

Chloe snapped, feeling the need to defend herself. Max beamed down at her and proudly pointed at herself.

"Aha! One point for Mad Max!"

Chloe squinted her eyes.

"Listen here you little hippie-"

Max shot off the bed and fell right on top of Chloe, causing them both to topple over in delight.

"Max, what is up with you today? You're never this playful."

"I remembered how much I missed you! I have to make every second last!"

Max nuzzled all over Chloe's face, making her flush red in a fluster.

"Maaax. You're getting your nerd germs all over me. Quit it."

Chloe complained, looking down in embarrassment but it didn't stop Max from cuddling her face.

"Oh!"

Max snapped her head up and grinned, remembering something important.

"Pillow fort! Let's make one like, old times!"

Chloe rolled her eyes but nodded slothfully at the suggestion.

"You're more distracted than me. Sure."

They made a pillow fort, then attacked each other with the pillows then finally collapsed on the bed together, exhausted and wore out from their playtime.

"Hey Chloe?"

Max whispered, tracing on Chloe's shoulder with a finger.

"Hmm?"

Chloe yawned, then shook her head to clear it.

"Will you take me with you on your next adventure? I want to go with you."

Chloe looked down and saw her curious expression. Chloe knew Max would eventually ask and since Mark was after her life, Chloe felt it was only right to keep Max as close to her as possible. Nodding gently in agreement, Chloe slowly offered her pinky finger.

"Sure. Anything for you."

Max's eyes lit up seeing her gesture. So delighted as Max, she didn't process that she wanted a pinky promise. Her small hand gripped Chloe's pinky before she realised they were trying to make a promise.

"O-Oh... um... wait."

Max flushed, wanting to switch her hand's position but Chloe chuckled and kissed the side of her head.

"Dork."

Max looked up at her and got more flustered and her shy glance retreated to the floor as refuge.

"It's cute when you hold my finger like this. Do it more often."

Max started say something but Chloe pecked Max on her forehead before she could.

"O-Okay."

Max mumbled with a shy smile hiding behind the back of her hand and avoiding Chloe's precious, happy smile. Max's eyebrows arched slightly in surprise when Chloe drowsily leaned in rubbed the tip of her nose against hers. Max grinned and arched an eyebrow.

"You wanna know what I find ironic?"

"Hmmm? What's that?"

Chloe whispered, bumping her forehead into Max's. Chloe's sleepy smile stretched feeling Max's hand touch her cheek and graze over her skin.

"You are a completely different person in my arms."

"And that's the person I love to be the most. I was many people as an agent when I had to go undercover. But right now, here with you... it's the best place in the world."

"Mmm-hmm."

Max hummed softly as she shuffled closer and opened an eye to look at her.

"I'm still waiting for you to remove that tattoo by the way. I always did find the skull on it a little morbid and dark."

Chloe deadpanned and gave Max a quick once over, dumbfounded at her response.

"Aw what!? We were just getting all emotional! Way to kill it! Well don't worry, it's a fake temporary tattoo. I will plan on removing it tomorrow."

Chloe grumbled moodily before releasing Max and rolling over to sleep. Max giggled and yanked Chloe back into a hug.

"Grumpy cat."

Chloe scoffed lightly and shrugged a shoulder.

"Nagging mom."

The two nestled down to sleep, with nothing but a sheet of stars and the moon as their blanket.

"Love you."

Max mumbled, burying her nose into the crook of Chloe's neck. Chloe came to a bit and ran her hands up and down Max's back. Eyes half open in worry, Chloe caught herself in the middle of her thoughts, hesitantly replying to the other girl snoring softly her arms,

"I... I love you too."

Chloe sighed and her eyes fluttered shut and she tried her best to block out her fears of failing and losing Max to Mark or worse... to herself if she accidently couldn't keep her powers under control.


	8. Episode 8: Metamorphosis

**Time:** 10:20 AM

 **Location:**  Gulf Of Maine, Seguin Island - Seguin Light (Chloe's Bedroom)

* * *

  


Chloe slept hard for a good solid three days and now on the dawn of the fourth day, she remained in a deep slumber. Neither Max or Joyce had the heart to wake her. They didn't know what Chloe did that would have made her so tired, outside of the obvious. Whatever it was, both women trusted that Chloe would wake up when she was ready. Or if they happened to run into a problem with lurkers outside of Joyce's league, she would wake up and come to their rescue.   
During Chloe's absence, Joyce got to know Max and Max got to learn all about Chloe and her past growing up with William. Joyce's stories were cute, funny and exciting. When she went to get the photo album that afternoon, Joyce called Max downstairs so she could show it to her. Max didn't want to get out of the bed and leave Chloe but that was because she enjoyed Chloe's presence and liked being near her in general. Chloe was fast asleep and didn't look like she would be waking up anytime soon.

With a reluctant sigh, Max closed her journal and stopped writing. She reached over and set the journey on the end table, next to the lamb. She rolled around and leaned over Chloe. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she kissed Chloe softly on the cheek. "Love you." Max whispered and as she leaned back she paused hearing Chloe garble sleepily,

"Mmm. Love... you... too." Chloe nuzzled more into the pillow, seeking the comfort it provided. She inhaled slowly then released a long, satisfied sigh and as seconds went by, Chloe's breathing patterned naturally started to deepen.

Max grinned and leaned back in to nuzzle Chloe's cheek with her own. "You are so precious, Chloe Price."

Chloe frowned in her sleep and groaned, hating how she turned to mush anytime Max gave her affection anymore. Max leaned back, quietly slid off the bed and tucked Chloe in with caring hands. Max quietly back away from the bed and left Chloe to rest on the bed. She opened the door and went downstairs to join Joyce and see what she wanted.

Joyce glanced up at the photo album she was flipping through and smiled at her. "There you are Max. Is my daughter finally showing signs of actually wanting to get up and join the living?"

Max shook her head gently then took a seat at the dinner table beside Joyce. "Her complexion is better and she did actually wake up a little bit last night and talk to me."

Joyce's ears perked up at the news. "Oh. That's great. What did she say?"

Max frowned. "That she wanted me to learn how to use a gun and I... don't like guns but I understood why she was pushing it and I reluctantly agreed to do it. Plus, she said I couldn't travel with her if I didn't know how to shoot a 9mm at the most so that was the end of that."

Joyce gave Max an apologetic grin then winced seeing her frown deepen. "You really don't like them... do you?"

"Joyce, I know guns don't kill people. People kill people but still, life is something I enjoy and no matter how evil someone is, I can't wrap my mind around getting to the point of gloating over their deaths. Deaths that I could cause with just a tap of a trigger. It's not something I take lightly and even though Chloe explained the difference between a murderer and protecting in self-defense and the heart motive in each case, I still don't and will never like guns or the responsibility that comes with owning a gun." Max held her forehead and sighed and Joyce could tell she was frustrated but she couldn't go against Chloe's reasons. Had Chloe not said anything, Joyce would have. If Max was going to live with them, she needed to know how to defend herself against all threats and odds. It came with being a target as much as it came with being a normal citizen.   
Joyce was glad to learn Chloe did explain the differences and motives of people who pick up a weapon and use them. She personally felt that was something Max needed to understand if Max intended to stay Chloe's friend. Chloe afterwall, was trained to kill and would kill when needed and when ordered in her past. Now that she was a basic citizen, Chloe couldn't just whip out a weapon in public and shoot someone she knew was after her but at the same time, needed to be ready to defend herself.

Max was physically bothered by the topic so Joyce switched gears, fearing she'd upset Max if she tried to give Max friendly advice in shooting and offer aid if she needed it. That would still be a possibility, Joyce was sure of it but for now, she wanted Max to relax and not worry about having to put a bullet through someone's head.

"Did Chloe happen to mention anything else?" Joyce asked, giving Max a hopeful look.

Max took a breath, squared her shoulders and did her best to lose the edge in her face and possibly, in her tone. She wasn't sure what she was doing. Talking about guns flustered her and she often filtered how she felt through body language or with her tone and Joyce saw both and wanted to smooth the tension in the air. "Umm. Not really. What were you hoping she'd say, Joyce?"

Joyce grinned slightly and raised an eyebrow. "To be honest? A little bit more info about her little adventure she's going to take you on."

Max's eyes widened. She hadn't told Joyce that and she was pretty sure Chloe hadn't either. Curious, Max leaned forward and squinted at the older woman, questionably. "Umm. Sorry Joyce. She didn't go into those details with me yet. If you don't mind me asking, how did you-"

Joyce already knew what was coming and what Max was going to say. Which is exactly why, she had reached into her pocket while Max was talking and took out a recorder cam. It was simple, basic looking and another spiffy gadget of the agent life. Max was sure of it. It looked too advanced to be a normal "recorder" or "camera" that she could spot and identify. "I keep tabs on her when she's in her room, the shower, out taking a walk, whatever it is. I keep an eye on her when she's visiting with me. I know it might seem... creepy but it's not. She's  _my_  daughter and has a  _lot_  of enemies, Max. I don't record her to invade privacy, I record in case her privacy is invaded by third parties and she happens to miss them. Which has happened and yes, she's aware that I do this and she does the same to me when she feels like returning the favor."

Max giggled and Joyce smiled, already seeing a difference in her attitude. "Wow. You guys compete on who can out-spy the other? Really?"

Joyce put her camera away and rolled her eyes and flashed Max another charming smile, the same kind of smile Chloe would give her before she would do something playful. "It comes with being a mother, overprotective in general and oh yeah, a  _mother_."

Max laughed this time and Joyce laughed with her. Max could relate to that to a point. Before Max was sent to CIA agents, Ryan and Vanessa took turns guarding her and watching her every move and it nearly drove Max crazy. If Max had to choose between the two, she'd pick the CIA agents anyday. They were able to spy on her and conceal themselves, allowing her to believe she had her privacy. Parents? Not at all.

"Well to be fair, she was too exhausted to hold a conversation. So after the whole gun thing, she showered, went to the bathroom, drank a few beers, ate the plate of food-" Max paused and gestured at herself. " _My plate of food_ then pretty much passed out on me."

Joyce leaned back in her chair and cupped her chin, gazing at Max thoughtfully. "She sure does enjoy your company Max. I dare say you're beating Rachel. And  _that's_  something to be proud of. Chloe and Rachel are inseparable, joined to the hip. Have you had the pleasure of meeting Rachel yet? I'm sure you have, but I am curious if you really did while you were at the CIA branch in New York."

Max rolled her eyes and her expresion dulled. "Yes. I met Rachel and she really wasn't at all what I expected. Chloe made her sound like an angel, a goddess, a flawless human being... she was kind of... mean, moody, territorial, selfish, so confident in herself I wanted to puke but praise her at the same time. It was a... memorable impression, I'll say that much."

Joyce threw her head back and laughed. "Yes. That is Rachel for you. And when it comes to Chloe, she's  _very_  territorial. I'm impressed she allowed you to live."

Max started to chuckle but stopped seeing how serious Joyce's expression was.

"No. Max. I'm... not kidding. Some people tried getting close to Chloe and they hurt her very badly. Granted they were spies from the enemy's side of the tracks but they died. Rachel killed those people when both branches broke out into a full blown fist fight."

Max's eyes slowly widened and she blinked, unsure if she wanted to believe the story or pretend she didn't hear it. "Uhh... I don't think I want to make Rachel angry then."

Joyce shook her head solemnly as she crossed her arms. "No. You really don't. Anyway, I was hoping Chloe would have said something about her trip."

Max slanted her head to the side. "Oh? How come?"

Joyce leaned forward and gave a sigh of annoyance and just so happened to look out the window when a black raven appeared on the window seal. He fluffered out his feathers and stared right at the women sitting on the table, greatly intrigued at what they were doing. "She hasn't spoken to me about anything since she came home, so I'm in the dark about what she's thinking. She's not planning on taking you too far, is she?"

Max shook her head. "I don't believe so. I did ask her where we were going to travel and she started to tell me, but that was around the time she ate and was passing out on me. She's still pretty tired and I don't blame her. Being a CIA agent was hard, I'm sure. But it seems like she's doing more missions as a citizen and I'm not sure how I feel about that yet."

Joyce nodded gently in agreement. "Chloe knew what quitting would mean. If anything, it put her life even more at risk."

Max clasped her hands together neatly on the table and gave Joyce a hesitant once over. "You think so?"

Joyce smiled and found herself looking down to the photo album in refuge, if only to distract herself from getting emotional. "Yes. I didn't know William was a CIA agent, but after his death I learned all sorts of things... things I wish I didn't know. However, learning that he quit the CIA shortly after Chloe's birth made me feel about how he viewed his priorities. After Chloe turned six the CIA was practically begging William to return to the field again. He did, but only because his family's life was in danger and he wanted to learn why. He was being targeted by someone personally and he would rather operate legally than by himself." Max's features saddened sensing Joyce's rising sorrow. It showed on Joyce's face and Max's chest swelled with guilt. "Then your situation happened. This lighthouse we're in now, is the very place where he sent me and Chloe while he was protecting you in another state, in a different house with another agent, who's name to this day, James Amber will not say who it was."

Max looked down at some of Chloe's childhood pictures and studied them for a long moment. Joyce didn't speak while Max did this and patiently waited for her to raise her head and look at her. "Did Chloe think anything was wrong when you guys had to move here?"

Joyce laughed but it didn't sound confident or happy. Max thought it sounded empty and very remorseful. "No." Joyce quietly admitted, smoothing some of her hair back into her bun. "Chloe didn't mind moving back here, as she was born in this light house and grew up here for the first six years of her life. Coming back to Seguin Island was like getting a big Christmas present. The entire time William was guarding you, we lived here until Chloe turned twelve years old. According to the reports I was told, he moved us to the same state and right next to the city he where you were being kept. Those times he said he had business trips, it was always going over to the next city and relieving the agent that was protecting you while he was seeing to me and Chloe. This cycle nicely repeated itself until he was killed. That very night, William's field partner, Agent McCree, rushed you to his home CIA base at the United Nations. You didn't stay at the United Nations long, as you were relocated back to the USA and was personally escorted by Agent Morrison. Do you recall any of these events Max?"

Max nodded stiffly and distracted herself with more childhood photos of Chloe. Joyce noticed but pressed on, feeling like it was needed. Not just for her own peace of mind, but also for Max, difficult as it was. "Agent Morrison took me to his personal residence at Bloomington Indiana while William's case was being investigated. The killer was sent from someone in the United States, but none of the CIA branches could find the man behind your husband's assassination. I was um..." Max rubbed at her neck and averted her eyes away from the photo album and found something else to look at to distract her from Joyce's face. "Guarded by several Overwatch Agents who came in at Agent Morrison's request. I remember some of them better than others, all of them were nice to me and Agent Morrison really did admire your husband, Joyce. He was upset at his demise but even more so upset that no one around the world, could locate the mastermind behind William's death. After about two years of being transported from one CIA base to the next, including those overseas, I was finally flagged safe and I was able to my family in Arcadia Bay. I was sixteen and I remember feeling very useless to anyone who guarded me and to this day, have been haunted by William's passing. It was my fault and if I hadn't been born with this... this power William would still be here."

"You don't know that Max. The way he was going, someone was bound to finish him off or knowing how reckless William was, he'd get himself killed."

Max didn't want to sound selfish but she couldn't help herself. She parted her mouth and asked a very personal question, one that she was hoping Joyce could answer. "How did he do this for so long, without you noticing? I feel like, I was literally the reason your family was jeopardized Joyce."

Joyce shook her head and gently corrected Max. "William did that to us all by himself. You were just a victim and your parents primary concern. Since William had us in the dark about what he was doing with the CIA and it worked out in his favor throughout his entire career. All he had to do, was apply for a fake job and say it would require him to be away from home every so often but he would always be fair and make sure his-" Joyce made quotes with her fingers. " "Bosses" understood his family was his priority next to you Max and that's exactly why the best Overwatch agent from the CIA branch from the United Nations, sent Agent McCree to his side. They made a good team and timed their plans perfectly. So perfect that I didn't even question his "job" at any point during our marriage. But enough about that. It wasn't all doom and gloom you know? In fact, William was able to relax for a few years and for the most part, live a peaceful life at home with me and Chloe up until that assassin came and... and..." Joyce caught her breath and tensed at the foul memory playing through her mind. Biting her lower lip, Max reached over and placed her soft hand over Joyce's trembling one. Blinking the sting out of her eyes, Joyce used her free hand to quickly wipe the tears she felt running down her cheeks. "I'm sorry Max. I didn't call you down here to be morbid about the past. I just-"

Max shook her head and waved her hand to the side, cutting Joyce off. "No. It's fine. And I am so sorry my role in all of this led up to William's death."

Joyce shook her head. "Like I said, you had nothing to do with it. William should have trusted me in my opinion but the less I knew, the safer I was. Now I know many things and my life is also in danger and part of it is because I know things the average person shouldn't know. Now... let's move away from this and focus on the real reason I called you down here."  
In motion with Max, the women bowed their heads and their attention went to photo album. Joyce flipped through a few pages towards the back and when she found the photo she was looking for, she paused and gently slipped the photo out of the transparent slot. She stroked over the photo that was of William posing against Chloe who was holding her deceased cat Bongo close to her chest. Chloe was looking at the camera but William was gazing lovingly down at Chloe with a soft smile on his face. "I... I want you to have this picture Max."

"Joyce I can't take this. It's your history of your family." Max argued, pushing the photo back into Joyce's hands.

"And that's exactly why I want you to have it." Joyce quickly placed the photo into Max's hands then closed the photo album. "I know my photography skills don't match up to a girl like yours but I'd like to think it's worthy of your journal I see you with. That one you store the photos you've been taking of this place, among so many others."

Max blushed, flattered at Joyce's confidence in her work. "Aww. Thank you Joyce." Max reached into her camera bag and got out her journal. She flipped through several pages and smiled when she came to the page that was a nice array of photos of her and Chloe together. She placed the photo delicately on the page then gently closed the journal. Max tucked it away in her camera bag and shot Joyce a charming grin. "I'll fix it up and add it to my gallery later."

Joyce and Max continued to talk with each other, unaware of what Chloe was experiencing upstairs in her room. Chloe's eyes snapped open and she sat up straight on the bed so fast she made herself dizzy which was bad, because that made her even more nauseous to her stomach. Putting a hand over mouth, Chloe forced back what wanted to come up and focused really hard on slowing her breathing. Her body always reacted poorly when she phased into her Mutagen body. The Hurricane drug was a part of her now and no matter how many cleanse pills Chloe took, she could never fully flush the substance out of her body. Her father implanted the drug when she was a newborn and well up into her toddler years. All those times she got sick, sometimes both ways, was just the Hurricane drug messing with her system. Like now. It was rearing its head, demanding to be addressed.

"Why won't you... leave me alone? I never asked for this... I don't  _want_  this power. I'm not..." Knowing what was about to come, Chloe sighed and lowered her hand away from her mouth. "A Mutagen. I'm a human and this isn't... me." As Chloe said this, she phased into her Mutagen body against her will and felt the morph take place.

It was quicker, unlike other times. A sign that her body was getting used to the Hurricane and growing weaker against the drugs she was taking to combat the changes in her body. Another perk of the Hurricane drug. It was literally trying to force Chloe to evolve into a Mutagen hybrid. Something she wasn't willing to accept and fought ever since she read her father's journal in his room at the CIA base in New York. Desperate to find a trash can, Chloe flung back the sheets, quickly zoomed out of her bed at lighting speed and across the threshold of her bedroom, right to the knee high trash can. She grabbed it by its side, holsted it up to her face and opened her mouth, prepared to vomit when suddenly Max came right through the door as she was about to do it.   
Chloe froze and Max froze seeing Chloe's new look. To say she wasn't scared would be an understatement. She was terrified. Her jaw slowly sagged down in shock, her eyes widened at the same time with Chloe's and for the longest time, neither girl could move or break their position. Chloe couldn't even find it in her to get sick in the trash can, knowing Max was standing right there in her doorway and looking at her like she was some kind of... monster. A freak. Something Chloe was always fearful of if Rachel, Joyce and her agent co-workers discovered her little secret William left behind.

"C-Chloe... you're a... you're a-"

Chloe wanted to set the trash can down and point at Max to stop her from going on, but didn't, in fear she might get sick at any moment.

"You're a-" Max stuttered again and shook her head, almost convinced she was dreaming even though she was sure she was wide awake.

"Don't. Say it. Please don't... finish that sentence, Max." Chloe mumbled, looking away from Max's face and back down into the hole of the trash can with a pained expression.

Chloe's reaction offended Max. She arched her neck back, disgusted that Chloe would ask her to not state the obvious. "Whoa. Whoa. Time out!" Max stepped into the room and quickly shut the door so Joyce wouldn't hear them. Turning around she faced Chloe and stormed right up to her and the trash can. Max was more than aware why Chloe would be holding such an object but it didn't stop her from slapping it out of Chloe's hands and kicking it across the floor. Chloe stared at Max, dumbfounded at her behavior. Leaning in, Max jabbed a finger into Chloe's shoulder, so hard it made Chloe wince.

"I don't want to hear that from you, you who said you loved me and accepted me for who I was."

"Max, wait..." Chloe whispered, fighting another wave of nausea and dizziness. She groaned and put a hand on her head and tried to center herself. "That's not what I-"

Max took a defined step back and crossed her arms, all too eager to go head to head with a Mutagen in denial of her gifts. "You clearly don't accept  _what_  I am and that's okay. What's not okay, is lying to me about it and wanting me to act like this isn't important."

Chloe rubbed the sore spot where Max had rammed her finger in her shoulder. It hurt. What hurt more, was seeing angry tears run down Max's face. Tears that she had caused. "Max, no. Wait. Listen to me-"

Chloe was abruptly cut off but the loud, crackling noise of Max's slap across her face. The urge to vomit had left and it was replaced with a hollowness deep within her heart Chloe had never experienced before. This kind of turn in events shook Chloe and she found herself at a loss and struggling to find the words to describe how she was feeling to Max. Chloe slowly craned her neck back around and stared at Max's hardened features and for the first time in her life, Chloe felt fear. Not fear of the unknown, that she welcomed. Not fear of dying, something else she also embraced and didn't mind if it did happen. But fear of not being able to keep someone she loved over her secret being exposed. No one knew about it, not even her mother, let alone Rachel. Only one agent did and she kept Chloe's secret to this day and Chloe trusted this agent with her secret but only because the two of them had similar background stories.  
For Max to accidently come in and find her like that was ironic and horrible timing. What was worse, Max believed Chloe was ashamed of being a Mutagen. She was and she wasn't. Chloe didn't dislike Max because she was different. She thought Max being a alpha Time Wielder was amazing and very cool but she herself, did not like Mutagen power. It frightened her and it turned her into a fake Mutagen and if not carefully monitored, she tended to black out and become a monster, uncontrollably, unstoppable, unbeatable... and that was the part of Chloe's life that she didn't want Max to know or see.

"I'm not ashamed of you. It's  _me_  I'm ashamed of... okay?" Chloe wanted to yell those words and shoot Max a angry, grump expression but all she did, was sound weak and unsure of herself. Max slowly raised and eyebrow and for a split second, wondered if Chloe was putting on a act to catch her off guard. "I'm not a normal Mutagen. I'm something else that never,  _ever_  should have happened."

"What exactly do you mean by that?" Chloe shook her head and stepped closer to Max, invading her personal space. Max tensed and tried to push Chloe away but gasped and winced in pain the moment her hands made contact with Chloe's skin. It was glowing now and there was not logically reason for it. Not that Max could understand. Chloe understood why but she didn't even bother to explain the glowing skin, much less the blue butterfly like wings that sprouted from her back. Max lost her anger for the moment and staggered away from Chloe, torn between wanting to run away in fear or standing her ground and continuing on in her anger. "Just  _what_  are you anyway Chloe?! What is this? How long have you been a Mutagen and why didn't you tell me?!"  
Chloe opened her mouth to tell Max a quick, justified reason but Max cut her off and Chloe was instantly resorted to closing her mouth and listening to more of Max's rant. "Does your mother or Rachel even  _know_  about this?!"

Chloe simply shook her head and slowly raised her hand up to eye level. Max watched Chloe's hand come for her face and tried to step away from it but found, she couldn't. Her legs were numb, frozen in place, unable to move. Max struggled a bit and for the life of her, could not understand why her legs couldn't move, but her upper body and arms could. Then it hit her. Chloe... could control time. So many questions were running through Max's head and she snapped her head up and gave Chloe sucha look of betrayal and anger, Chloe's hand stunted and she withdrew it away from the side of Max's face.

"Don't look at me like that. I know this looks bad Max but if you just let me wipe your memory of this and wait for me to come to you, I will explain everything in order so you can understand-"

"You... can control time? You could do that and let yourself almost  _die?!_  And made me worry over you for  _days?!_ You literally almost died! If you could control time, why didn't you freeze your own wound? Why didn't you freeze the men that were coming at you? I mean... that's one perk of being a Time Wilder isn't?! Bending the flow of time at your command and doing whatever you want with it but  _you!_ " Max quipped, pointing an accusing finger at Chloe and making her flinch. " _You_  pranced around everyone like some normal agent with some nice tricks but in reality, was holding back? What! The! Actual! What?! Chloe you're the worst!" Max barked and in the heat of the moment, spit at Chloe, right in the face. Chloe's eyebrows arched up in alarm and for several seconds, she stood there, frozen in her own state of so many overwhelming emotions of wrong. Everything was just going wrong. Chloe started to hyperventilate and her eyes nervously darted all over the other teen's face. She was so lost and confused even though she knew exactly why things were happening the way they were. Max learned her secret and assumed vey possible cliche Chloe feared.

User.

Manipulator.

Coward.

All these things were running through Max's head, Chloe was sure of it and Chloe helped put those seeds of doubt there and she knew it. The problem was, Chloe was anything  _but_  that. If Max would just listen to her and let her explain her situation and how her artificial gifts behaved, then she would see the error in her thinking. "Max." Chloe finally choked out on a unexpected sob. "One day, when I'm ready and able to talk about it. I'll tell you everything and even remind you of what happened here, in the bedroom at the lighthouse but today..." Chloe resumed her advancement towards Max and Max's pupils dilated in rage feeling a weird shift in her body. Chloe was messing with her. How? She wasn't sure but there was no way Max would make herself feel that weird and like she was about to pass out. "Is not it. I'm sorry... forgive me."

With those final words, Chloe's fingertips touched the middle of Max's forehead and all memory of the past, up until Max saw her holding the trash can, was wiped from Max's mind. Completely. She would never remember seeing Chloe that way or their conversation. For that, Chloe was thankful. Without even touching her legs, Chloe cancelled the time power that froze Max's lower body in place, releasing Max from the time prison she had created. Max's eyes fluttered shut and with a groan, she slumped forward into Chloe, out cold. Chloe caved her arms and wings around Max, cradling her close and took advantage of Max being unconscious. She buried her face in Max's hair and clung to her harder and ignored how her blue crystallized butterfly-like wings trembled on her back. Chloe slowly fell to her knees and took Max down with her, hating that wiping Max's memory, was the only way out of a bad situation. "Silly rockstar." Chloe whispered weakly into Max's ear. "I may be able to use time power, but only some of it. Jokes on me because I can't freeze on myself, only other people. I guess... dad didn't include that DNA in his research."

"Chloe! Are you and Max roughhousing again?"

Chloe crystallized butterfly-like wings flapped outward and she started to breathe faster, fearing her mother was coming up the steps and towards her bedroom. "N-No! We're fine!" Chloe hollered back over her shoulder than quickly glanced down at the girl resting in her arms. Chloe made a sad face and sighed, hating that she couldn't be stronger for Max or admit her secret. Given with how Max reacted, Chloe wasn't looking forward to it. For now, she would be fine with their talks, cuddling and their roadtrip. Something she still needed to run by her mother and soon. The quicker they stopped Mark, the sooner Max's life could return to normal and she hopefully, could return to her studying as a student at Blackwell.

"I sent her up there to check on you. Are you two going to join me for lunch or what?"

"No. Max is tired. She's um... taking a nap!"

Joyce's sigh of annoyance could be heard all the way from downstairs. "I swear, you two mirror each other so well it's disturbing. All right then! Come down and eat when you want. And don't forget we need to have that talk! I want to know what you're up to Chloe. You going off on your own is one thing, risking Max's life is another! So come down here so we can discuss some things. I also have some news to share with you!"

Chloe pulled Max closer and rested her chin on top of Max's head, selfishly desiring the comfort of Max's touch. It calmed and soothed her and currently, Chloe's nerves were off the charts. "Yeah? Like what?" Chloe raised her voice but didn't shout nearly as loud. She was gradually losing stamina and because she fused into her glorified body, her energy levels were going to drop again and soon.

"I called Rachel over. Your life is clearly in danger and you need help so I asked her to come live with us until you've completed whatever it is that you feel you must do!"

Chloe wanted to be mad. Chloe wanted to put Max gently on the bed, march downstairs and tear into her mother going against her wishes but in the end, all she did was mumble to herself and drag Max over to her bed. She carefully laid Max down on the bed, tucked her in then stepped into the bathroom. She was glad her bathroom was in her room and she didn't have to go outside of he room into the hallway where there was another bathroom. This made Chloe's job so much easier. "Come on. Come on... where did I put you guys?" Chloe searched her medicine cabinet over the sink, reading each drug bottle label and looking for the security code that only she would recognize. These pills she had shipped from Germany, from the very doctor who made Hurricane from her father's research. At first he wasn't going to help her in trying to refuse the Hurricane drug's effects. All it took was her flying over there when no one was looking and showing him just how terrifying the Hurricane drug's influence over her body could be and he changed his mind real quick.

The pills were in the form of Fluoxetine, a drug used to treat Fluoxetine treat major depressivedisorders, bulimia nervosa (an eating disorder) obsessive-compulsivedisorder, panicdisorder, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). Despite her scarring childhood and intense agent career, Chloe amazingly, did not have or suffer any of these disorders the symptoms that came with them. But she used those disorders as a cover up so she could sneak the drug into America and into her house. Everyone bought it, including Rachel, who normally could call a bluff and a cover up on sight but not this one. "There you are." Chloe snatched the Fluoxetine off the third shelf and hastily unscrewed the cap with trembling fingers. The shaking was so bad, her hand flinched involuntarily and made her drop the pill bottle. It fell to the wooden floor and Chloe hit her knees in desperation to gather the pills back together into the bottle. She had some trouble, where she was shaking but eventually, she collected her medicine and took her usual dose with a glass of water. Afterwards, she sat in front of the sink, knees draw up and hugged her legs, unable to stop the jerking of her limbs as the Hurricane and the vacacine went to war in her body.   
As expected, it escalated once the vaccine started to kick in, Chloe scrambled over to the toilet bowl. She got sick on and off for a solid hour. Joyce and Max didn't hear this, thankfully, but Chloe was so sick, she didn't care if she disturbed them or not. At least with the vaccine drug, the Hurricane was forced to come up. Problem was, there was more Hurricane in her system than the vacacine. It was rapidly mutating her blood cells and taking over and if Chloe didn't find a solution to her problem, she would evolve into a Mutagen. This of course, was exactly what William wanted, which was exactly how the scientists in Germany wanted but Chloe wasn't interested in being the CIA's test subject. Not in state, not over seas. Agent Tracer had undergone similar testing and she was never same after her tests were done. When Chloe was privileged to work beside Agent Tracer of the Overwatch CIA branch from the United Nations, Chloe learned all sorts of disturbing things scientists did to her friend's body and it was all in the name of "science" and "advancement of the human race". It sickened Chloe to know some CEO's didn't find fault in their science teams or bothered to question what was going in in the their labs. Rachel was a good CEO and one of the CIA's best CEO's in the world. She was  _that_  renown and  _that_  influential over the higher ups.

Chloe's head eased out of the toilet bowel and with am exhausted huff, she fell onto her side, utterly exhausted. "All of this could have been avoided if I hadn't willing wanted to use my power on that Berry guy. Ugh. When will I learn, that fake Mutagen and human blood just won't mix?" Chloe gave herself a few minutes to regain her stamina, then she sat up and held her head with both hands. "I feel awful but I need to clean up and go talk to Mom about my... plans."

And Chloe did exactly that. She got off the floor, flushed the commode and then proceeded to shower. After her shower, she got dressed in some lazy, casual clothes and went to exchange her intel with her mother. She updated Joyce on what was going on and why it was important to her to find and stop Mark Jefferson, once and for all. Joyce wasn't surprised Chloe wanted to single handley deal with Mark, especially learning about how he had his hands in with the Prescott's  _and_  the CIA at the same time. The man was guilty and conducting illegal slavery of imported and kidnapped Mutagens. Joyce saw that and understood the direness of the situation. She just worried for Chloe's overall safety, which is exactly why she called Rachel in. Chloe didn't like this and made that known to her mother but Joyce countered Chloe with a heated comeback of her own.

"So I'm supposed to sit here and pretend that we're normal and don't have to worry about someone killing us off in the middle of the night? I tried that for years until your father's secret life caught him between a rock and hard place, Chloe!"

Chloe's eyes widened. Realizing what she had done, Joyce bowed her head and rubbed a hand around her face. She sighed, moved her hand away from her face and assessed her daughter sitting across from her at the dinner table.

"I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that. I'm just very stressed out over this mission you want to do and Max's purpose in your life in general."

"What does Max have to do with my-"

"She's your weakness. A  _big_  weakness and CIA training taught you better, Chloe. I know they did. I was sent every log, every report, every mistake you made during your training and your classes. Having an attachment can and will affect your sense of judgement."

Chloe leaned back in her chair, crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "Oh God. Not this again..."

Joyce's features hardened and Chloe pretend like she didn't notice. "Chloe, this is serious. You're really,  _really_  attached to Max."

"Yeah?" Chloe shrugged and tilted her head in annoyance at her mother. "And?"

"And it's going to get you killed one day if you don't get it under control. Or worse, both of you. I would know, because you and I were your father's weaknesses and look what happened to him."

Chloe tensed noticeably and found herself staring down at the surface of the table in a quiet, aggressive silence.

"Chloe... I'm sorry but you need to understand that this fairytail you have with Max, only works when it's safe and far away from your kind of lifestyle. You're a CIA agent-"

"Was. I  _was_  a CIA agent." Chloe coldly remarked, interrupting Joyce and flashing her a dangerous glare that Joyce matched to Chloe's surprise.

"Chloe Elizabeth Price. You know as well as I do, that quitting the CIA was only the beginning of your troubles. Look, I didn't say your attachment to Max was a bad thing, you just need to be more careful-"

"I'm  _always_  careful, mom. Don't even start that garbage with me. I'm not in the mood to hear it." Chloe rudely cut in, giving her mother daggers.

Joyce blinked rapidly and reeled back, insulted at Chloe's resistance. "What is up with you? You've been acting like this all afternoon since I asked you to come down here talk. And for someone who's been hibernating almost a week, you look awful. What's wrong?"

Chloe shook her head, refusing to let Joyce know the true reason behind her exhaustion. "No. I don't wanna talk about this anymore. You want me to be safer? Got it. I'll keep that in mind. Anything else I should know before I go back to bed?"

Joyce jerked and got up from the dining table and started to pace around the the kitchen. "You're going back to bed again?!"

Chloe stood up calmly and faced her mother, her expression far from friendly. "Yes. I am. I'm tired. I had a long drive and-"

"I don't buy that. Just what exactly are you doing that is making you this tired? You're not..." Joyce spared a glance at Chloe's stomach then snapped her eyes back to Chloe's face. "Pregnant, are you?"

Chloe blinked hard and squinted at mother, infuriated at the accusation. "No mom. I'm not pregnant. Trust me. You and Rachel would be the first to know and I'm happily a virgin, thanks for asking. Now if we're done, can I please be excused? Max doesn't like waking up alone. She tends to freak out when she doesn't know where she is."

Joyce made a face and threw up her arms in defeat. "Why wouldn't Max know where she is? She's been living with us for weeks."

Chloe turned around, putting her back to Joyce. She couldn't tell Joyce the actual reason Max would trip out so she had to stall and get creative. "All the stress from running around, going from place to place is starting to catch up with. That's why. I wouldn't expect you to understand how she feels, mom. You're not a top class Mutagen and the most powerful around so please let me protect me target and do my job, okay?"

Joyce raised an eyebrow at that remark. "Target? Job?" She echoed, finding Chloe's choice in words amusing. Chloe was walking away but froze hearing the confrontation in her mother's voice.

"I meant...  _friend_. Let me protect my  _friend_ and be a good friend to her... that's what I meant to say."

Joyce faced Chloe and leaned her back into the wall, still unconvinced that's what Chloe's mind was bent on. "You see this as another "mission" and Max as your "target"?" Joyce scoffed and glanced away mometairtly. "You're supposed to be normal now but you can't let the CIA life go, can you?" Joyce wasn't trying to sound petty she was just hopeing that Chloe would be able to break free of it and wanted Chloe to reassure her. Instead, Chloe bowed her head and said nothing in her defense and just stood there with her back to her in the middle of the kitchen. Joyce shook her head, not surprised that Chloe had chosen that path for herself. "You really are..." Joyce trailed off and lowered her gaze to floor. "Just like your father. He couldn't let it go and evidently, neither can you. Chloe, I hate to be the one to tell you this but no matter how many missions you win, no matter how good you show yourself to be, no matter how many villains you bag and bring to justice, you will  _never_  find the man who killed your father! The only man who knew, shot himself in front of you and took every secret he knew to the grave with him! Why?! Why can't you just let this go and be  _you?!_  Why must you always be William's shadow?! You will never  _be_ him so why do you torment me with this fruitless path of revenge against an opponent who refuses to show himself or herself?"

Chloe caught her breath and her eyes slowly widened as the weight of Joyce's words resounded through her head. No longer able to withstand the rift between them, Joyce walked out of the kitchen and to her room, which was on the first floor. Chloe whipped her head around and she watched her mother go and slam her bedroom loudly behind her. The piercing noise made Chloe grimace and she felt a pang of guilt swell in her lungs and work its way down into her chest. She placed her hand over heart and clutched at the area, thinking if she did, the sensation would leave her alone. It failed and she continued to feel it, even long after she returned to her bedroom and laid down to sleep.

Max woke up before Chloe did and it was nearing dawn when she blinked open sleepy eyes and rolled onto her side. Who she saw, laying next to her was not Chloe. For whatever the reason, Chloe decided to crash on the couch at the end of bed. Chloe had one arm draped lazily over her chest while the other was tucked comfortably behind her hair. Her head was resting on a pillow she stole off the bed and she was resting peacefully, snoring away and completely oblivious to what was going on her bed. This person next Max, had a tomboyish, spiky haircut, that seemed to stay in one direction, a russet British jacket with a white collar and yellow leggings with interesting advanced shoes.   
Max's eyes went everywhere over this person and she was in awe of the older woman's exocitc features. On her chest, was a harness of sorts with a glowing blue middle. It was pure energy. Energy that Max had never seen before and she wondered if the energy in the middle of the harness hurt the woman. Because she was half asleep and because she was so used to unexpected visitors of either side coming at her, Max didn't think to question this person. She was okay for the moment the woman was smiling at her, indicating that she was not going to hurt Max. Max smiled back because at this point, what did she have to lose? Her life? Her dignity?   
Such things were considered rubbish now and didn't mean anything. As if that understanding was sinking in for the first time, Max reached out and gently tried to put her hand into the middle of the harness where he blue light was emitting from. The woman caught Max's hand right before she stuck her hand completely inside of it. Making a clicking sound effect with her tongue, the woman with a thick British accent scolded Max in a soft, motherly voice.

"No, no. That would not end well for either of us, dove. Best to keep your hands to yourself, Golden Hour. I need that to survive in one place you know? Just like you need your time power to keep yourself in one reality."

Max shrugged the warning off because everyone she was still groggy and not completely aware of her surroundings. She understood that the woman wasn't comfortable with her poking into the blue light so Max gently withdrew her hand and went back to studying this new ally of hers. Max could say ally because the woman addressed her as "Golden Hour", a codename only CIA agents would know her by. "Hmm... who are you?" Max asked, leveling her gaze with the woman.

"A friend. I'm not going to hurt you Golden Hour. I came here to drop off Agent Price's medicine. It's around that time when she needs a refill. We normally meet at a secret drop off location but ever since she quit, Agent Price is no longer allowed the privileges of a CIA agent. Such as having special access to drop off points."

Max's sleepy eyes fluttered shut and she almost dozed off right there and then but she quickly jerked her head and forced herself to wake back up. "Medicine? You're here to refill her... medicine?"

"Right. Special medicine from the doctors in Germany. And that's all you need to know. Can I just say, you are so cute? No wonder Agent Price wanted to keep you all to herself. I would too, if I had a target as adorable as you."

Max's stare eventually went to the leggings the woman wore. The leggings had honeycomb digital designs from top to bottom and a unique name spelled in white caps font on the side of each leg. The name was in plain sight and Max read it outloud without meaning to. " "Tracer"?" Max whispered, her voice still thick with sleep. Tracer grinned and her brown eyes softened the moment Max lost her drowsiness and gazed up at her in fear and alarm.

"Easy. Easy. I'm not here to hurt you  _or_  Agent Price." Tracer sighed and corrected herself. "I mean, Miss Price." Tracer rolled her eyes hearing herself call Chloe like such. "I keep forgetting she's not one of us anymore. Shame really. Agent Price, I mean, Miss Price was one of the USA's finest CIA agents in her Class. Wish I could say I was here to find out  _why_  she quit but nope. That's not the case and not my jurisdiction sadly." Tracer zapped out the bed, leaving behind a blue arc of light and Max was blinded for moment. She blinked again and glanced around the room quickly, trying to find the agent. Tracer had already dropped off the batch of new vaccine drugs in Chloe's bathroom and was nicely waiting for Max to notice she was sitting comfortably on the window seal, swaying one leg around back and forth in amusment. It took Max a moment but she finally caught sight of Tracer perching on the window seal, smirking at her. Max raised an eyebrow and looked over at where Chloe was at on the couch then glanced back over at Tracer.

"Wowser. That was fast."

Trace winked and gave Max a thumbs up. "You know it!"

Max reached up and rubbed the back of neck cautiously. "So um... what am I supposed to do now?"

Tracer's eyebrows arched up in surprise. "Huh? What do you mean?"

Max hesitated with her answer, struggling to find the right words to describe how she was feeling. "Am I in trouble? For seeing you?"

Tracer laughed softly under her breath and shook her head. "No. You're fine. Why would you think that?"

"Because I'm starting to get under the impression I'm not supposed to see you guys unless you're ordered to let me see you."

Trace grinned and Max gulped, somehow intimidated by Tracer's dashing grin and the bravado she was projecting by merely just sitting on a window seal. "Well since you're getting all deductive and all. No Golden Hour. You weren't supposed to see me and I was told not to let  _anyone_ except Miss Price see me." Tracer leaned in slightly and pointed at herself with both hands. "But _I_  wanted to see you again Golden Hour. For myself."

Max scooted back on the bed, drew her knees up and the two women observed each other in the dark for a long moment. Max lowered her chin between her knee caps and Tracer just smiled at her and patiently waited to see if Max was going to say something else.  
"So." Max softly began, clearing her throat. "You really  _are_ the Overwatch agent I met as a child?"

Tracer nodded with pride. "I am."

"Your name wasn't Agent Tracer back then, was it?"

"No. I used my actual last name during that stage of my career."

Max's eyes trailed over Tracer's body, starting from her head and all the way down to her feet. "Hmm. I think you cut your hair. Wasn't it longer?"

"Yes. But not by much. Likewise, you cut yours."

Max instinctively reached up and touched the side of her head and stroked over her short strands and couldn't help but smile shyly back at Tracer. She was flattered someone else remembered her outside of her family and Chloe's family.

"You've grown up so much since I last saw you. I'm glad you're making it and not on the deceased list of targets. That's always a joy to go with Winston when I got nothing better to do..." Tracer reached over and rubbed her arm. She smiled faintly at Chloe then gradually met Max's stare with her own. "Take care of her, Golden Hour. She's going to need all the support she can get."

Max blinked and wasn't sure how to take Tracer's request or which person in the house Tracer was referring to. "Who?" Max glanced at Chloe and watched her for a few seconds then leveled her gaze with Tracer. "You mean Chloe?"

Tracer lowered her hand away from her arm and nodded. "Yes. She's..." Tracer trailed off and her features noticeably saddened. "She's going through some severe changes with her body and I'm sure, in time, you will find out what it is. The only reason  _I_  know what's going on, is because she opened up to me and confessed a personal secret that no one else knows. Not even the higher ups."

Max leaned forward on the bed, suddenly eager to learn more about Chloe. "Like what?"

Tracer quietly slid off the window seal and dashed to the bed. Max jerked not because she was annoyed or disgusted by Tracer's use of Mutagen speed power. But because Tracer's presence was a bit dazzling and Max wasn't used to seeing fast at such a fierce intensity. Max tipped her head up to greet Tracer just as Tracer moved a finger out and brought it down gently on her lips. "Shh. Can't tell you dove. Sorry. But what I can say is Miss Price and I are alike in our situations. Neither of us asked for the fates we have. They were given to us when we were most vulnerable. For me, it was being down after a horrible a accident during a mission, for Miss Price, it was infancy."

Max waited for Tracer's finger to lift off her lips then she tilted her head to the side and narrowed her eyes in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Tracer shook her head, refusing to tell Max what she wanted to know.

"No. I'm not at full liberty to tell you that. If you want to know, ask her but I wouldn't until she made it clear she hinted you could go deeper. All right? Take my advice. Don't pry too much into Miss Price's past. It's really complicated, unfair and disturbing. So just... mind how you approach her on that, okay?"

Before Max could get another word in, Tracer backed away from the bed, stood still and stretched her lean arms over her head.

"Gotta skitdat now. I got another mission waiting for me in Britain. Please let Miss Price know her medicine has been delivered and restocked by Agent Tracer, free of charge this time."

Max rubbed her arm, if only to sooth her nerves and have something to fidget with in the presence of another powerful CIA agent. "Umm. Sure thing Agent Tracer. Thanks for dropping off Chloe's medicine."

Tracer did a salute gesture, winked cutely at Max then in a blink of an eye, she was gone. The window was open, when Tracer was sitting on it. Prior to her leaving, the window had been closed and locked. Max wanted to freak out and question what had just happened but didn't even bother. At this point, she expected CIA agents to do what Tracer had done. Pop in and pop out. If they claimed to be CIA and a friend of Chloe, Max would go with it and try her best to keep a calm profile.

"Well... that just happened." Max muttered, rubbing the remainder of sleep out of her eyes. "Hey Chloe?"

Max softly called to her friend and looked at her on the couch.

"Hmm?" Chloe didn't stir at all while Tracer was talking. In fact, she didn't seem to hear a single word Tracer said. But the second Max called to her, directly, her senses kicked in and she was more than willingly to rouse herself to answer Max.

"A CIA agent by the name of Tracer came by and said your medicine was refilled, free of charge."

Chloe's eyes slowly blinked open. "Agent Tracer was here? And  _let_ you see her? That's different..." She garbled, sitting up on the couch and running a hand through her hair. Max watched Chloe stretch and waited to be spoken to. Feeling her nosy stare, Chloe lazily turned her head in Max's direction and Max quickly looked down at the bed, a little embarrassed to be have been caught admiring Chloe the way she had. "Did she say anything else?"

Max shook her head. "No."

"Did you guys... talk about me? And if so, in what way, Max?"

At first, Max thought Chloe was suspicious and shy about being talked about but when she dared to steal a glance at Chloe, she flinched at the harsh expression Chloe carried. "She just said that you two were alike and when I asked why, she said she wasn't allowed to talk about it and if I wanted to know that stuff, I should ask you but to be really careful in how I go about it."

Chloe's cold gaze softened, but only a little. "Ah. I see. That's good. She um... she's the only CIA agent that knows about my problems fully and I want it to stay that way." Chloe held up a hand and waved it to side. "No offense. But I'm glad she didn't sell me out to someone as cute as you."

Max tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled, flattered at the comment. "So what was it she couldn't tell me, Chloe?"

Chloe got up off the couch and went lounge on the bed behind Max. Max shifted around so she could see Chloe better and the curious gleam in her eyes didn't go away, much to Chloe's disappointment. Sighing, Chloe reached up and gently stroked Max's face and Max leaned into Chloe's touch, like she normally does when Chloe would stroke her cheek.  
"It's a surprise, something special I will tell you when all this mayhem and drama is behind us. When I think you can handle my secret, we'll chat about it. 'Kay?"

Max's eyes slanted half way in amusement and Chloe's did too. "Will I like the surprise?"

Chloe's lips curled up mischievously. "That will depend on how well you can handle my past and the next phase of your training, starting today. The way I see it, if you can't pass your training with me, you're not going to like what I'll have to say about my past later down the road."

Max leaned out of Chloe's touch and flopped down on Chloe playfully. Chloe grunted but didn't do anything to fight back. She just smiled more and gazed lovingly up at Max's sleepy face and bed hair. Chloe knew she was doing it again. Behaving silly and not putting on her usual tough act. Chloe soon learned, the longer she was around Max, the harder it was for her to stay serious all the time. "Bring it. I can handle it. I want to know what Agent Tracer was talking about, so do your worst."

Chloe turned her head and looked at the clock on the wall over the computer desk. It was early. Too early to be moving around and making noise but Chloe also felt like testing Max without the dointing care of her mother watching them. Joyce was still asleep and Chloe decided, if she was going to show Max some the more exciting perks of being able to shoot a gun, now would be a good time. "Well. Get outta this bed, get dressed and meet me downstairs in ten minutes." Chloe ordered gently, rolling off the bed and jumping to her feet. Max did the same, mimicking Chloe's movements just because she could. Chloe turned around and tapped Max on the nose, making her giggle. Seeing her do that made Chloe grin and the rough incident between them that took place hours ago, suddenly seemed like a long forgotten memory. "C'mere you..."

Max laughed out loud when Chloe reached out and snaked one arm around her waist and put her in a friendly headlock. She gave Max a noogie and was happy to do it. "Aww Chloe. Noogies? You're the worst."

The last statement made Chloe tense and she ceased in rubbing her fist in the middle of Max's scalp for a long moment. Too long for Max not too notice.

"Chloe... is something wrong?"

"No." Chloe whispered and immediately let go of Max and staggered over herself.

"Hey. Are you okay?" Max reached out to steady Chloe but to Max's shock, Chloe gently slapped Max's hand off her shoulder.

"Nothing's wrong. Everything's perfect. Just a little off from my trip to Illinois. That's all. But I'm almost back to full health, so don't worry about me anymore. You'll get gray and wrinkly if you do."

Max rolled her eyes but smiled to show she didn't take serious offense. Seeing it out of the corner of her eye, Chloe turned around and watched Max walk up to her. Chloe's head gradually lowered as Max approached her. When Max was standing directly in front of Chloe, Max grabbed Chloe's hands and swung their arms to the side, back and forth a few times. "You better. You sick is awful. All you do is sleep. And snore."

Chloe grinned and broke the swinging then lovingly wrapped her arms around Max and pulled her close. Max giggled and buried her face into Chloe's shoulder. She inhaled the signature scent and smiled against the black t-shirt and genuinely wondered what kind of perfume or body spray Chloe was using that made her smell so sweet.

"Rachel says you snore when you're borderline drunk or beyond exhausted."

"Rachel says a lot of things that shouldn't always be taken too seriously. I don't really 'sleep' and I don't really 'live'."

Max leaned back and glanced up at Chloe face and blinked seeing Chloe's eyes narrow and flash with anger. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Chloe's expression remained unreadable and her next words confused Max even more.

"There is a difference between 'living' and 'surviving'. And there is a difference between 'sleeping soundly' and falling down to 'rest' so you have just the right amount of energy to keep going. Max my life isn't like yours. And it never will be. If I ever snore in my sleep, trust me. It's not because I'm exhausted. It's just a cover up to let you and anyone else know I'm 'sleeping' when in reality, I'm just waiting for someone to come in and finish me off."

"Are you saying Rachel doesn't know the difference?"

"I'm saying, Rachel shouldn't fill you full of hope when she knows as much as I do, that the roles we play in the CIA robs us of what should be normal and replaces it with harsh expectations. My sleep life, is no exception. And if you're going to be in my life and my friend,  _you_ need to start getting used to that concept as well."

Max's mouth sagged open just enough to where you could see the break and her frantic eyes darted all over Chloe's face, hoping to find some kind of opening to use as her comeback but the longer she stared at Chloe's stony expression, the more insecure she became.

"I think all of this fun and adventure has blinded us both to the reality of our situation. I'm not part of the CIA, but I'm still a trained killer. And you're..."  
Chloe trailed off and brought one hand up to cup the side of Max's face. She used her thumb and stroked it across Max's cheek and for a moment, Max saw Chloe look torn over what to do. As quickly as it appeared, Chloe regined her focus and went right back to looking angry and annoyed. "You're every greedy man or woman's favorite toy they want to collect and show off to their friends. You will always be viewed like that, so keep that in mind when you're on the run with me and having to possibly one day, kill someone in self defense... okay?" Chloe was a good actor and a better liar. All of which she owned to Rachel. Their practice improvisation sessions really paid off and came in handy for decoy missions. Not everything she said was a lie. Just the part about snoring when she's truly exhausted or borderline drunk. Everything else was dead on and very true for both of them. Max couldn't make the distinction between what was the lie and what was truth and that was why Chloe pat herself on back. Max bought it and didn't think question her about anything else for the remainder of the time they separated and went to their dressers to find something to wear. go dressed  
  


* * *

**Time:**  3:20 AM

 **Location:**  Gulf Of Maine, Seguin Island - Seguin Light (Shooting Range)

* * *

  
  
  


"Like this?"

Max asked, feebly holding a basic 9mm in her her shaky hands. It was loaded and the safety was off. Chloe had instructed Max on how to handle loaded and unloaded guns, the safety features and the right and wrong ways to hold a gun. She caught on to that fairly well. Targeting was another issue entirely. Chloe already knew from Max's file, she was farsighted in one eye and nearsighted in the other eye. It didn't make that much of a drastic distance in Max's performance but it did mess with Max's aim every so often.

"Yes. You're holding it correctly. Now use the scope on the top of the barrel, look through it and line it up with the dummy's chest."

Max bit her lower lip and slowly raised the gun up to the dummy's chest. She closed one eye and did as Chloe asked but she still had a hard time seeing the right angle, where she was far sighted in the eye she was looking out of. Chloe sat in a chair and was chugging a beer while she was slowly building up to an panic attack over shooting her first bullet from a  _real gun_. Max wasn't sure how long she stood there and heard herself panting and felt the sweat building on her palms of her hands and running down her face. The gun alone, was enough to make her go into overdrive. But shooting a realistic, human doll that remained Max all too much of a actual citizen? She was freaking out. The most Chloe could have done as given her emotional support, assured her of her progress, cheered her on-something motivational. But no. She sat there and kept chugging beer after beer and speaking when needed.

"No fair." Max complained, breaking her stance and turned around to glare at Chloe. Chloe lowered the rim of her bottle down past her lips and arched an eyebrow in silent question at Max. Annoyed, Max made a show of glancing around the shooting range. "I have to bust up dummies and their insides while you get to chill and drink beer? Some instructor you are Chloe."

Chloe lowered the beer bottle completely and stared at Max with an unimpressed look on her face. "I'm not the one who can't hold her own in a fight. I know how to shoot guns, fight, use knives, sword, daggers, among other things. I've earned my black belts in four major melee disciplines where as you have nothing to show. And I'm not here as your instructor. I'm just showing you basics. Telling you what to do and then watching how you apply what I say, is just for my benefit so I can know what you need to work on or fix later on. After you go through the exercises, I'll get up and show you more. I'll even demonstrate with my gun if I have to."

Max didn't meant to, but in her frustration she moved the gun in Chloe's direction, aiming the barrel right at her. Chloe dropped her half drunk beer, jumped out of the chair and widely gestured at with her hands Max to point the gun back at the dummy.

"Hey! What did I tell you about that?! Never  _ever_ aim a loaded gun off its safety at someone, even if that someone is yourself!"

Max did something very childish just then. She put the gun back on safety and threw it the dummy then sat down crossed legged on the ground, glaring up at Chloe. Stunned, Chloe stood there, mouth hung open and stared at Max on the ground in silence. Max refused to explain herself and waited for Chloe to say something.

"Uhh... hey. Don't be like that. You're doing fine. Really."

Max glanced in the opposite direction and stiffly shook her head. "I could just time freeze these people... mess them up that way. Then I wouldn't even have to learn all of this and shoot the blasted gun in the first place."

Chloe cautiously went over to sit down on the ground next to Max. She eased back on her hands and tipped her head up to study the clouds in the sky. She watched them for a long time. Eventually, Max did the same and they sat there, listening to the early morning sounds of nature and the soft rushing currents of the ocean off in the distance. "Hey. You know how you told me... you didn't like the thought of using a gun on someone because you would take life?"

Max didn't reply to the question. Chloe expected her to do that so she went on with her point and trusted Max would keep listening to her.

"Well, using your Mutagen power on someone, freezing them and "messing them up" is kinda... brutal Max. The bullet will take them out quick, but time power is... scary. You literally have the ability to bend and screw with people's lives, fates and events. If you freeze them, depending on what you freeze, how long you allow the freeze it could possibly damage them slowly or quickly. It's like it's own form of torture and I need you to understand that power, any kind of power. Normal or Mutagen, weapon or bioweapon, bare hands and teeth... whatever you do with power, is on you and you will be solely responsible for that action. Messing your enemies up with time power Max, is no different than me going postal and shooting down a group of people in my rage or in a fit of insanity. I mean, come on. You're getting mad that you have to shoot a gun when you have the ability to make that gun freeze, or the person holding the gun freeze. During that moment, you can steal the gun and use it on them, or throw the gun away, or simply leave them alone to rot in their frozen state. Catch my drift, dude?"

Max didn't want to admit it, so she didn't. Not vocally. She did physically. She got up and returned to the dummy, picked up the gun and faced Chloe again. Chloe got up and dusted herself off and watched her closely. Max didn't look happy but she nodded a bit to indicate she understood and was ready to try again.

"I'll show you how to properly use it first, if that's what it will take to get you to shoot the gun."

"You mean, you're actually going to get up and  _work?_  Go get Joyce. This is a Kodak moment waiting to happen." Max faked her shock and scoffed lightly. Chloe crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

"Dude, please don't bring my mother into this." Chloe sighed.

"I know I haven't exactly set good chore examples. But when it comes to killing and surviving on the field, I'm a pro."

Max's features softened and Chloe's did too.

"We okay now? Because fighting with you is scary. Not as scary as fighting with Rachel but it's still intense." Chloe asked, walking up to her. Max blushed and bowed her head in shame. Chloe drew closer and stopped in front of her. She smiled down at Max and patted her on the head a few times. "I had the same reaction as you when my trainer told me I had to learn how to shoot a gun."

"R-Really?" Max softly asked, raising her arm and placed the hand that didn't have the gun over Chloe's. She moved Chloe's hand off her head and down over her heart. Chloe caught her breath, wondering it Max realized what she had just done. Rachel had done the same thing when they learned how to shoot together and told her she trusted Chloe with her heart and to have her back no matter what. Chloe didn't mean to get nostalgic over the gesture but it messed with her. Max noticed and assumed it was personal so she let go of Chloe's hand and offered her a small smile instead.

"Yes and sorry about that. What you did just now... it um... reminded of-"

"So. This is where you went off to. Can't say I'm surprised to see you here,  _Max_. I figured she took you from us I just thought she had enough respect for me to not do such a petty, low blow to the agency. Price, why do you have to be like this? You're making my job so much harder."

Chloe paled and her eyes gradually widened. She froze recognizing the voice behind them. Max made a pained face and simply took three steps away from Chloe, knowing there would be a fight if she didn't. "Rachel?" Chloe slowly turned her head then turned around completely and sure enough, there was Rachel, shoulder resting against the door frame, ankle tucked behind the other anda had a dangerous smirk on her face.

"Oh please. You didn't really think I was going to let Max get away from me that easily, did you? I basically told the Chief not to bother with a search party because I knew she was safe with you."

Chloe expected Rachel would put it together eventually but to boldly admit that theory to their Chief threw Chloe into full panic. She grabbed at her hair and gawked at Rachel in astonishment. "Are you here to collect her?!"

Rachel nodded and her smirk turned into a wicked grin. "You should have just let her stay at base. Would have made this exchange-" At the moment, Rachel eased off the doorway and entered the shooting range. She phased into her firey body, startling both teens. " _So_ much easier. But no. You choose to lie to me and defy me, your best friend and superior. Not. Cool. Price."

Chloe had never seen Rachel use her Mutagen power. Only heard rumors and stories about it. It was just not something Rachel felt the need to show Chloe when her skill with weapons and melee spoke for itself. Besides, Rachel tended to only use her Mutagen form in extreme cases. The only reason she used it on Nomad was because he was bent on not telling Rachel Chloe's secret and she didn't have time to guess where Chloe was, as Chloe's life at the time, was on the line and Rachel wanted to help her friend. "Is this the "curse" Daniel and The Syndicate was referring to, Rachel?" Chloe whispered, hating how her voice came out shaky and full of fear. Fear that Rachel was eating up and using to her advantage.  
"Can we please talk about this Rachel?"

Rachel shook her head one time and cracked her fiery knuckles. When she did this, the other girls heard a sickening, cackling effect, similar to how a fire pops in a fireplace after being poked.  
"No. You had your chance to come clean, refused and kept me in the dark. That is to say, until your mother called me and explained to me why she wanted me to come and protect you in your little adventure to wherever. And you know what? I think I'm going to punish you. Forget your happily ever after with Max. Face me, defeat me and I'll let you do whatever you want with Max. If you can't beat me, then you two have to listen to me and do as I say."

Chloe and Max didn't like the stakes of those conditions but Rachel was serious. She wasn't playing around. Her hair, her skin, her eyes all screamed her fury and was demanding that Chloe come at her and fight. Chloe wasn't prepared this kind of challenge. Seeing Rachel in her Mutagen body, on fire and pulling a Jean Grey/Dark Phoenix was seriously messing with how Chloe saw her best friend. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Chloe slowly raised her hands and weakly gestured at Rachel to calm down. "Rachel please. Lemme explain-"

"I'm glad you could convince Nathan to come clean and be a witness against our informant, Chloe. I was very grateful to you for that. His information about Mark and what Mark did to his father was vital for my case and the Chief finally put a search on Mark and cut ties with him. Max, however is still under our custody for protection. You know how these procedures work, yet you still stole Golden Hour from me and planned this. See, had you and her meeting here, on this island been confidential and ordered by us, I wouldn't have cared, but no. You had to go and do things your way. Why were you going to see Sean Prescott? You never told me or got back with me, and that was what made me really suspicious of you to be honest. Had he not been murdered and everything went over well, would you have kept that from me too?" Rachel shot Max daggers and Max took another step back and this time she whimpered softly in the background. Chloe heard her do it and to Rachel's further disgust, went to her and touched her arm. Chloe ran her hand down Max's arm then stood protectively in front of Max. "Is Max really worth all of this? Your behavior with her in the past, even now, infuriates me."

"Max is precious to me. Just like you are precious to me. She's going with me on my trip Rachel, I won't let you take her... I have to do this."

Chloe spared Max a quick glance, got a determined look on her face then caught Rachel's stare and returned the glare ferocity using her eyes only. She was no longer intimidated by Rachel's anger or her Mutagen form. She put it all away for Max's sake and her own resolve. "We have to do this. Her survival and any girl of interests to Mark, depends on the success of my mission."

Rachel lifted her head, wagged finger and made a clicking noise with tongue. "That right there? Was the wrong answer. I'm going to enjoy this fight—now get over here and defend your cause, if you can."

Chloe glanced over her shoulder and shared a desperate look with Max then set her worried eyes back on Rachel. "Rachel if you calm down and just lemme explain what I'm doing, this will all make sense. Then after I'm done, you can tell me how you feel about it. If you still want to take Max after that, fine. But you owe it me and yourself to hear my side of the story."

Rachel arched her neck back slightly and raised an eyebrow, resisting the urge to laugh. "You want to know how I feel right now?"

Chloe heisted but reluctantly nodded her head. "Yes. We're friends, aren't we? Of course I want to know how you feel."

Rachel looked away, considered the idea and nodded, deciding she would do just that and let them know exactly how she felt, in that moment. Rachel opened her mouth and took a long, deep breath. Max and Chloe weren't exactly sure what she was doing but they didn't have to wait too long to find out. When Rachel exhaled, a ferocious, painful scream filled the entire room. The pads on the walls fall off, gun holsters and racks fell over and crashed to the floor and any decor hanging on the walls, were swooshed away in the whirlwind that Rachel's power created. Chloe and Max hit their knees and had to cover their ears because her screech was ear piercing and a wind formed from the cry and it viciously blew them over and everything in the shooting range with it. Max dropped the gun and rolled halfway across the room in a hustle and didn't stop until she collided with Chloe's body and they both tumbled into the padded wall.

"You were right!" Max confirmed, re-covering her ears. "Rachel ticked is really scary! Is she always like this when she's mad at you?!" Max had to yell and yell hard over Rachel's super sonic. It was that loud. Chloe shook her head and tried to reply back to Max but a wall pad rolled its way into their bodies from the wind, separating the two instantly.

"Max!" Chloe took her hands off her ears and tried to grab onto Max so she could pull her back in but the wind just pushed her further and further away from Chloe's outstretched hand.

Max was violently arced through the air and smashed into the shotgun rack on the other side of the room. She landed on the floor with a audible thud and her head snapped back, right into a blunt object. She didn't see what it was, but whatever it was, it was hard and knocked the breath out of her. Just when Max thought it couldn't get any worse, one of the trophy cases next to her, creaked and pitched forward and landed across Max's legs, causing her to cry out in pain. Chloe's eyes widened and she actually felt her heart break on the inside. Max was smaller, frail and gentle. Something as heavy of a trophy case crashing on her legs couldn't have felt good.   
Max squirmed, desperate to get the heavy weight off of her. Chloe crawled towards Max the best she could but the energy of Rachel's screech and the velocity of the wind turbulence, made it almost impossible for Chloe to get to Max. Thankfully she and Max didn't have to worry about the trophy case long. The pressure of the wind blew it off after a long moment of struggling and into another wall and there it stayed. Max rolled onto her side and cradled the leg protectively that throbbed the most. Both hurt but the left leg ached terribly.

Chloe didn't like that Rachel had randomly showed up and ruined their training session. She knew ahead of time Rachel was coming to protect her because that's what her mom wanted for her. Protection and more than likely, a familiar face. What Rachel doing, was the last thing from protection. Max's life was at risk and Rachel didn't even seem like she cared! "You want me to face you Rachel?! Well congratulations! You got your wish!" Chloe roared, allowing herself to tap into her Mutagen power for once. She blinked and instantly her eyes turned the color that covered over her pupils and filled her iris. She didn't stop there, she pushed herself and transformed in stages as she walked towards Rachel's firey body, wanting Rachel to see what she was about to get herself into. "I didn't want to do this. This isn't how I wanted  _either_  of you to find out but if violence is the only language you'll speak then so be it!" Chloe's voice had created the double audio effect and it sent chills down the other teens spines. This one act from Chloe, shut Rachel's mouth and she suddenly found herself staring at a powerful, stunning Mutagen.

Chloe's hair was pure white and flowing, just like Rachel's was only hers wasn't covered in flames. Chloe's hair did something different. Because she was openly allowing the Hurricane to flood her senses, her hairstyle changed. It was spikier, arched back and stuck out in random places and it made her appear more scary than she actually was. Her skin, that normally would not glow, was glowing and there was some interesting tribal-like designs perfectly spread along her arms, and on the sides of her legs. The part that caught Rachel and Max off guard the most, was when Chloe's shoulders jerked and her radiant blue crystallized butterfly-like wings shot through the tank top Chloe was wearing.

"Chloe." Max breathed, eyes widening. "You're a-"

Rachel finished Max's sentence for her and made sure to add some edge in her voice. "Mutagen."

Chloe shook her head and simply gestured at Rachel to come at her. "Not the way you think I am and after I'm done wiping the floor with your face Rachel, I'll explain everything..." Chloe trailed off, shut her eyes and gave a deep sigh. "Again."

"Again?"

Rachel and Max asked at the same time. Chloe rolled her eyes and nodded distractly, really wishing they could move things along. "Yeah. Max and I have already been through this once. She just doesn't remember."

"And why is that?" Rachel asked.

Chloe thrust her arm to the side and her wings opened completely, revealing the beautiful design on the inside of them. As angry as Rachel was at Chloe for hiding Max under her nose, she wanted to learn more about Chloe's unique condition and secretly admired the beauty of Chloe's Mutagen form. Chloe would have given Rachel an answer but she was too riled up over what Rachel had done, on top of endangering Max's life. "Enough! I'll tell you both about that later. Rachel can tell me about the curse and why she's been hiding this... fire ability all this time from me and I will tell her and you Max, why I look like this and also, why this mission is important. Until then-" Chloe gestured at the door Rachel came through. "Let's take this outside and fight like women. Shall we?"

Recovering from her initial shock of seeing Chloe pumped and amped as Mutagen, Rachel shook her head to clear it and headed that way. Chloe waited for Rachel to leave then turned to Max. Max was on the ground, on her side staring at her with wide eyes and a look on her face Chloe recognized all too well. Betrayal. At least this time, it wasn't as intense and she didn't lose it emotionally.

"Max. If you will just lemme explain and give me chance I will make this up to you. Both of you."

Max was a bit dazzled. First she witnessed Rachel erupting into fire-literally and then Chloe shifting into... something unknown, yet lovely to gaze at. She was hurt but she could also see the hurt in Chloe's glowing eyes and didn't want Chloe to be sad. She put on brave little smile and weakly nodded and softly remarked up to her friend, "Okay. I'll wait for you."

Chloe glanced around the room, pointed at Max, then down to the floor. "Stay here and lock the doors. If mom calls you, you can go to her. I don't mean to sound paranoid but you really shouldn't be without supervision. This shooting range also has a safety room. It's over there."

Max followed Chloe's gaze and found the metal door she was looking at.

"Until Rachel and I get back, go hide yourself in it. The code to get in, is the year I was born. Got it?"

"Y-Yeah. I got it."

Chloe turned around to go and see about destroying Rachel while Max slowly got to her feet. She took one step and pain shot up from her foot and all the way up her leg. There was a loud, popping noise from Max's left leg and she collapsed involuntarily. Chloe heard her and whirled back around. She used her speed factor and was right there, behind Max on the floor. She slid her arms around Max's waist and propped her upright cautiously. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

"No. I'm fine."

Chloe blinked and stared off into the distance. "You get traumatized by our Mutagen forms, have your eardrums blown out by Rachel's Banshee slash Black Canary cry, you had a trophy case, full of heavy firearm weapons that weighed five pounds or more  _fall_  on you, in the middle of a wind storm I might add, learned that I took your memory of a previous event..." Chloe tilted her head to the side and chuckled bitterly. "But you're "fine"?"

"Really Chloe. I'll be all right. Go to Rachel and do what you have to do." Max weakly slapped at Chloe's hands on her tummy, signaling to her to let go. Chloe did the opposite, she increased her hold around Max and pulled her impossibly closer.

"Max, can you stand on your own? Be honest."

"Yes." Max whispered, looking over her shoulder and into Chloe's eyes. "I can."

To test this, Chloe helped Max stand up, arms still secure around Max's waist and held Max in place for a few seconds before she gradually let go and took a step back. Max stood still but her complexion looked awful. The blood had drained from her face and she had broken into a cold sweat and overall, was just tired. Chloe felt guilty. So much wrong had happened to Max and she felt it was all her fault. "Okay. If you're fine, walk for me. Go to the metal door. I'll walk with you."

Max crossed her arms and shot Chloe a stubborn look. "Is that really necessary, Chloe?"

Chloe nodded gently. "Yes. It is if you're hurt."

"Whatever. Let's just get this over with."

Chloe poilety offered her arm to Max to use as a support but Max slapped Chloe's arm away. "Really! I'm fine!"

Chloe slowly lowered her arm and watched Max, highly doubtful that she was and waited to see what she would do. Max started to walk normally but two and half steps into it, her legs buckled in and she collapsed again. Chloe was instantly behind Max and this time, she had to steady her and guide her down to the floor. Max doubled over and instantly grabbed at her left leg. She hissed loudly feeling another strong wave of discomfort shoot up and down the leg multiple times. Chloe leaned in pressed her cheek against Max's cheek and gave her quick nuzzle.

Max let Chloe do this and waited for the sensation to settle before finally bowing her head and admitting defeat. "Okay, okay... maybe I'm not so fine." Without meaning to, Max whimpered when she dared to roll up her sweat pants and inspect the leg for damage. What she and Chloe saw made them both wince. It was bruised badly, but glass somehow cut the skin and there was a nasty mark from the middle of the thigh, trialing all the way down to her ankle.

"I thought I smelled blood." Chloe muttered through clenched teeth. "Our fight is officially off."

"Rachel seemed bent on fighting you. What if she won't listen?"

Chloe's wings fluttered in frustration and some of the shiny crystal shards broke off and landed on Max's lap. "I'll  _make her listen._  We can beat the tar out of each other later." Chloe reached down and placed her hand over Max's hands and gave them a big, reassuring squeeze. She bumped her forehead against Max's and saddened seeing a hint of fear flicker on Max's face. She couldn't blame her. Her Mutagen form wasn't exactly G rated. "You." Chloe whispered, lowering her voice so Max didn't get too creeped about by the double audio effect. "Are my top priority right now. This mission is important and I refuse to leave you behind this time. Wounded leg or not, you're coming with me. And whether Rachel likes it or not, you're in my life. She just doesn't like sharing me, that's all this is boiling down to."

"Even so, she wants to challenge you. Just... give her what she wants..."

Chloe leaned back and kissed Max on the forehead.  
"Fine. But not until you're in that safety room." Without warning, Chloe helped Max stand up then gathered the smaller girl into her arms. Max grinned and leaned her head onto Chloe's shoulder, finally able to feel safe again. Chloe walked them into the door on purpose so she could the door as a support to push Max further into her body. This made it impossible for Max to escape. Keeping a steady balance on Max, Chloe entered the code on the digital keypad and the light turned from red to green. Chloe stepped back, grabbed hold of the silver handle and tugged it open.

Max's eyebrows went up in surprise seeing how homey and nicely decorated the inside of the safety room was. "It kind of reminds me a cigar room without the cigars."

Chloe grinned and walked further into the safety room. "That's because it was a cigar room. The people who owned this lighthouse before us were filthy rich. My dad wasn't the smoker type so he turned it into a safety room but kept all the furniture and decor. Chloe walked over to the classic couch and placed Max on it. She propped her up ahead the cushion pillows then left her briefly to go to the back where there was a convindent first aid kit box, installed on the wall. She got the medical supplies she'd need to clean the gash and antiseptic. Chloe returned to Max and knelt down in front of her. She looked up at Max and smiled. "This might sting a little bit. Permission to apply first aid?"

Max reached down and cupped Chloe's face with her hand. "But of course. I trust you med skills, Chloe."

Chloe grinned. "Awesome sauce. Hold still."

Max moved her hand off Chloe's face and rested it on Chloe's shoulder to steady herself and to clutch at it when she felt the stinging from the antiseptic or any time Chloe's aid wrap hit a sensitive spot while she wrapped her lower leg. When Chloe finished applying aid wrap, she put on and secured the splits. "Why are you putting those on?"

Chloe stood up and gave Max's wrapped leg a very light pat. "I know a sprain when I see one. Hang tight and wait for me."

Chloe dipped her head and placed a tender kiss on Max's cheek. "Behave."

Max smirked, crossed her arms and arched an eyebrow skeptically.

"What? Don't you have faith in me, Caulfield?"

Max shook her head. "Shouldn't that be my line? You're the one about to go meet your Maker. Assuming Rachel goes easy on you and let's you live."

Chloe cracked her knuckles and gave a merry laugh.  
"We'll see about that."

Max watched Chloe leave and the thick metal door shut behind her. Since Max had nothing better to do, she leaned back and tried to rest. Something told her the next couple days were going to be very exhausting and possibly, dangerous to her health. It would all depend on who got to her first. "I really hope Chloe wins. I want to go on that trip..." That was the last thing Max remembered saying before feeling her entire world go black.  
  


* * *

**_3 hours later..._ **

* * *

  
  
The fight between Rachel and Chloe proved to be nearly disastrous. The large field they fought in was destroyed beyond repair. Burnt woodlife with blue tinted crystal was the only thing that could be seen for miles. Their fight was violent, vicious and full of passion. Joyce woke up and had enough of listening to the explosions of nature their yelling. She didn't know what was going on but she threw back the covers and decided to go find out. Stepping outside, Joyce could see signs of the scrimmage off into the distance and wondered if for a moment, Chloe and Rachel were fighting the enemy. Curious, she tied her robe together and walked in the direction of the madness.

By the time she got close enough to see what was really happening, Rachel had Chloe in a death grip and was choking her. Chloe was on the ground and did not appear like the Chloe Joyce knew her as. Two horrible thoughts crossed Joyce's mind and she went into mother mode fairly quickly. The first thought was Rachel had lost it and was going to kill her child or Chloe had done something wrong that forced Rachel's hand to stop her. As Rachel was threatening Chloe over Max, Joyce snapped her head around, realizing what fatal mistake she had made.

Max.

She left the house and Max was all alone. Joyce hurried back, deciding to worry about the other two later. Joyce did the quick, logical thing and called Max's cell. Max didn't pick up the first few rings but eventually she answered Joyce. Joyce stopped freaking out and calmly asked her where she was. Max told Joyce where and why Chloe put her in the safety room. Joyce was furious and now understood why Rachel and Chloe were killing each other in the fields. The moment Joyce found Max and got her situated in the living room, she tended to Max and made sure her leg was comfortable in the splits. She served Max some breakfast and apologized that she was stuck between Rachel and Chloe's rivalry. Max didn't really mind, she just wanted answers. Something she and Joyce could agree on. Joyce sat beside Joyce Max on the couch and together, they waited for the girls to finish and walk through the front door. It took them another good hour or so before they finally stopped and managed to stumble into the house.

Neither girl won the fight, they were evenly matched in power, speed, intellect and stamina. All they had to show for their efforts were bruised, battered bodies. They didn't feel like touching but they had to hold onto each other as they entered the lighthouse. Rachel and Chloe were no longer in their Mutagen forms but it wouldn't have made a difference to Joyce even if they were. She let them have it the second they came into the living room and made eye contact with her. "What were you idiots thinking?!"  
Rachel and Chloe winced both from the pain their bodies had and from the intensity they heard in Joyce's voice. "Wait. That's right. You weren't thinking at all!"

"Mom, listen-" Chloe mumbled but was cut off by her mother and not allowed to on.

"No Chloe.  _You_  all listen. This location is private and supposed to be a haven. Sure we've had some unwanted guests but for the most part the enemy doesn't know where we are. After what I just saw in the fields it wouldn't surprise me if every enemy starts to move in by midnight!"

"Mrs. Price this is entirely my fault." Everyone, including Max, looked over at Rachel. She looked awful. Worse than Chloe but her voice somehow still managed to carry her CEO authority and draw the women's attention. "Chloe lied to me and took Max without permission. I admit, I was acting out of hurt and anger when I came here. If you're going to yell at Chloe you might as well yell at me too."

Joyce frowned and glanced at Chloe and the disappointment Chloe saw on her mother's face made her drop her head in shame even more. "Chloe. You told me when you first brought Max here, that Rachel was aware of it and approved of you hiding Max until things cooled down. You lied?"

"Yes mom... I lied."

At this interesting change in events, Rachel turned her head and squinted her eyes at Chloe in unison with Joyce. "You told her I knew about it? Really Price?"

Chloe glanced away, as far as she could, desperate to escape the look of confusion and betrayal on Rachel's face. Max was hard enough to bear, Chloe didn't want to deal with Rachel's too. "Why would you do that?"

Chloe sighed and nodded at the questions but didn't bother to offer Rachel an explanation.

Joyce crossed her arms and crossed her leg over the other. "Chloe, I think you need to explain yourself. Starting from the beginning. I also would like to know what it is I saw you as in the fields... one would think, I would know if I had given birth to a Mutagen child. Clearly I feel terrible for not knowing and you having to grow up without any support from me, but it's not my fault if my child doesn't tell me what's going on. You didn't want me to know about this, did you?"

Chloe raised her head just slightly and tried to say something but couldn't find any words to say to justify herself, so she dropped her head and fell silent again.

"Chloe, since we're on a confession trip, could you also... find it in you to tell me why you felt the need to erase my memories?" Max asked softly. "I want to understand your reasons."

"I know Max. I know. I just-"

"You can erase people's memories?" Joyce sounded absolutely shocked. "Chloe, what is going on?" Joyce demanded, walking over to her and taking it upon herself to relieve Rachel of holding Chloe.

What Chloe feared had finally come true. Her secret was out, her loved ones were furious and she couldn't run anymore. Hugging her mother, Chloe buried her face in Joyce's hair and whimpered pitifully. She didn't want to talk about anything. She just wanted to lie down and recover from using so much energy. "I realize this looks bad and you all have a right to be upset with me but I had my reasons, to keep all of you in the dark about my power. But I-" Chloe gasped softly and her eyes snapped over to the fireplace. Her advanced hearing picked up on a timer... to an explosive. And judging by how thick it sounded, this explosive was massive. "Guys, go to my truck. Now."

Joyce glanced down at Chloe and frowned, a little miffed she had changed the subject. "Chloe I'm not decent and no one is going anywhere until we-"

Chloe grabbed her mother's face and brought their foreheads together roughly. "Mother! I don't know how or when the enemy got in but there's a  _bomb_  in that fireplace! And it's close to going off!"

Joyce's eyes widened. So did Rachel and Max's. "W-What?" I can't hear it."

"I can't either. And my hearing is pretty sensitive to that kind of stuff." Rachel interjected and gave Chloe a genuine look of concern. Chloe rolled her eyes, not surprised their ears couldn't pick up on what hers could.

"I'm telling you guys, there's a bomb in the fireplace. Whoever has the dadinator must of just triggered it to go off because I just now started to hear it." Weak and tired as Chloe was, she pushed Joyce back and stumbled away from her. She went over to the fireplace and knelt down on her knees. She went to open the iron doors but they were cemented shut. Chloe hit her fist on the door and grunted loudly, gravely annoyed that the enemy had done that. "Blast it all! I don't have time for this. You guys need to evacuate, right now and go for the ferry dock."

"If you're right about this and we do as you say, what will you be doing, Chloe? Aren't you going to come with us?"

Chloe shook her head. "Don't worry about me. I don't die easily. Now trust me and get out of here! Rachel, make sure you check the truck for bombs too, just to be safe. If there is a bomb, well... I don't have to tell you what to do. You're a pro at this stuff."

Rachel nodded and went over to the couch. There, she bent down to go gather Max into her arms. Max was light so carrying her was no problem for Rachel. Her body was sore from the fight with Chloe, but she didn't have a choice. Max had to live and Chloe was making that very obvious to everyone. "Can we call a truce for now?" Rachel asked, rising up with Max cradled in her arms. "I know you're like this because of me... sorry about that. I didn't mean for you to get hurt."

Max slid her arms around Rachel's neck and leaned into her. "Sure. But only because I don't want to fight you and would prefer to be your friend."

Rachel turned around with Max in her arms and started for the front door. "Come on Joyce. Let's go to Chloe's truck. Can you grab her keys?"

Joyce was confused but she chose to trust Chloe and leave with the other teens. She didn't think to say goodbye because she believed Chloe wouldn't be too far behind them once she got done deactivating the bomb. Chloe listened and waited for the truck to speed off down the dirt road then turned her full attention back to the fireplace. Chloe was weak from using her Mutagen power during the fight, so she couldn't pry the iron door off. That would make her job so much easier and faster. She tried smashing it with anything blunt and heavy she could find. No matter what she used to pick with or to smash against the handles, the ion doors wouldn't budge open.

"I can't stop it. This place is gonna blow. I need to get out." The moment Chloe said that, a ring of fire flared up around the entire lighthouse, encasing the property in a sea of fire. Fire alarms sounded off and the sprinkler system kicked on but the fire was so powerful, the sprinklers couldn't extinguish the flames quick enough. "Oh you have  _got_  to be kidding me!" Chloe rushed upstairs but had to cover her face with her arms every time she neared a window. The glass shattered and flames from the fire would come in in a untimely manner. After the glass broke, Chloe would hit the floor and crawl under the window to avoid being burned by the flames. She opened the door to her room and more flames greeted her with a rush of fresh smoke. Chloe pulled the front of her tank top up and put it over her nose and mouth as means to keep from breathing in the smoke. She didn't have a lot of time and she knew it. "Medicine... I need... my medicine."

Chloe carefully made her way to the bathroom and was glad to see no windows had burst in the bathroom and it as flame free. She grabbed all the bottles Tracer had brought her and shoved them into her pockets, turned around and went back into the middle of the bedroom. Spotting Max's camera bag on the end table, Chloe snatched it up and put it around her neck. She went around to the other side and got her father's gun, the memento he left and entrusted to her. There were other gadgets and valuables Chloe wanted to get, but she left them behind and took what she had on her. Since the bathroom didn't have damage, Chloe escaped outside into the night air out a bathroom window. Flames as high as the house's roof blocked her from the tree that had a thick, wide branch. Chloe tried to phase into her Mutagen body but the second she tried, her entire body twisted in pain and she doubled over and threw up. It was not a pleasant experience and once it was over, Chloe staggered back away from the vomit and retreated back into the bathroom. "I hope this works." She muttered to herself, going to her bed and pulled the thick comforter off the bed. Chloe dragged the blanket into the bedroom and threw it into the tub. She leaned in and turned on the cold water. She steeped the comforter blanket in the water and made sure it was dripping with water. Chloe didn't bother to turn the water off and it kept running in the background while she climbed back through the window with the comforter blanket on her back. The smoke was rising and filling the atmosphere, making it harder to breathe. Chloe choked a few times but kept her mouth under her shirt, knowing it would only be worse if the smoke got in her lungs. Nearing the edge of the roof, Chloe stared at the flames blocking her exit. She reached up and wrapped herself up as tight as she could. If she missed the branch, it would be short fall but a painful one. If she did land on the branch, only then would she let go of the comforter blanket. "I hate Mondays." Chloe muttered, shaking her head slightly to clear the dizziness. She wasn't sure if it as the rush and excitement of possibly dying, the smoke or her body frazzled from allowing herself to shift into her Mutagen form. Either way, her senses her off and Chloe was pretty sure she was going to miss the branch.

She did and landed right on top of Rachel's car before rolling off of it and onto the ground. Rachel's car broke the fall but it also made another dent in Chloe's wounded body. She groaned as she rolled over onto her back and weakly thrust the comforter blanket off her. "Ow..." Chloe sat up, stood up on jelly legs and forced herself to run. Her speed, even outside of Mutagen form was over average. She could still hear the bomb ticking and panic began to sink in real quick, real fast. She wasn't far away enough for the explosion to not do damage. That left her one, final option. The cliff. The cliff that the lighthouse overlooked. The cliff that had roaring waves from the ocean beating against it and some minor rocks at the bottom of it. "Get off the land! Get off the land! Get off the land!" Chloe told herself, making a drastic bee line for the edge of the cliff. Just as Chloe was preparing herself to jump off, she heard another noise that only meant more trouble for her. She managed to stop herself from jumping and shot her hand out so fast, it jarred the one spying on her through the scope of his rifle. She didn't just move her arm at inhuman speed, she  _caught_  the bullet perfectly between her two fingers and thumb, then brought them together and smashed the bullet into pieces.

"How did she do that?" The hooded man asked, squinting his eye in the scope.

"How did she do what?" Mark asked, walking over to the where the sniper was standing.

"She just... turned around and stopped that bullet, Mark. I mean, I knew Agent Price had tricks up her sleeve but that was unreal."

Mark crossed his arm and tilted his head to the side. "After what we saw take place between her and your CEO? Why are you surprised? You've been around her longer than I have, Chief Taylor."

"It was still disturbing to watch, Mark. Even at a distance."

"For crying out loud Samuel, don't you even read the reports on your agents?"

Samuel shook his head. "No... not really. That's Rachel's job. I entrust all those tasks to her, most of the time."

Mark pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Speaking of Rachel, you planning on taking her out too or you want me to do it?"

Samuel grinned and Mark liked how the moonlight made his pearly white teeth look as if they were glowing in the dark. "I'll do it. She's my CEO afterall. What better way to tell her she's fired then to give a give a bullet notice of termination?"

Mark mirrored Samuel's grin. "Can I just say, I like how you think, Chief Taylor? I knew staying in touch with you would pay off someday."

Samuel looked back through the scope, glad to see Chloe was still debating on how to jump off the cliff and was still within sight. "How could I turn down your offer? After you confronted me in private and showed me your Dark Room and what Time Wielders can do, I wanted to help bring your galleries to life. I want to see Rachel in your gallery for myself. You're planning on taking your work to Japan, right?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Rachel would make a wonderful edition but since you're looking for a actual death, it's all the more crucial we find the right muse for your gallery. Rachel Amber, will do just fine. But that would also mean, we need to secure Max Caulfield so you can freeze such a masterpiece. Shouldn't be too hard once I eliminate Rachel."

"What about Nathan? He knows about my secret. Well. Some of it. Is he going to be killed silently or assassinated? Isn't he still under your agency's protection?"

Samuel took aim and was getting ready to shoot Chloe and give Mark and update about the plans he had in store for Nathan, but the bomb went off and the impact from the explosion sent a massive trememor across the land. The lighthouse went up into flames even more and the men had to take cover until the rumbling ceased. Chloe had been in the act of jumping when the pressure of the bomb's eruption forced her further out. She fell down the cliff and just so happened to land on a lifeboat she kept at the bottom for escape purposes. Granted, Chloe had forgotten about the lifeboat over time so she was just as surprised to land it and still find it in tact. She laid on her back, head tilted back against edge of a seat and panted hard, almost afraid to relax in fear of being jumped again. "Rachel... Max... mom... I'm so sorry. Please be alive. Wherever you guys are, just... don't... die." Chloe's tired eyes fluttered shut and she felt her body starting to transform but not in a way she was use to. She wasn't glowing, her hair hadn't changed color and she didn't have her wings growing out of her shoulder blades. As this was taking place, Chloe remembered something important she needed to do. The last thing she did, was cut the rope holding the life boat in place and setting it free before being forced into deep sleep. This sleep wasn't normal either. It made her feel sick and dizzy. The only rational thing Chloe could associate this change to, was the Hurricane drug. She had pushed herself way too hard and probably shook up her progress where she had phased into her Mutgan body so much in just a short period of time. Chloe lifted her hand and opened her eyes just enough to where she could see. She watched in a terrified silence as her hand crystallized from the fingertips and work itself down her wrist and then her arm. Chloe's entire body broke out in different spots and started to case over in crystal. "Dad?" Chloe whispered, her voice barely even there. "What did you put inside me? What is Project Hurricane and... why were you being hunted over it? Max I could understand but your notes suggested you were a target before Max came into the picture."

Chloe's eyes were forced shut by the pressure of her the power. With one last groan of anguish, Chloe's head rolled to the side and her hand fell down and right over Max's camera bag. In a matter of seconds, Chloe's entire body and everything on her was covered in a hard crystal substance that took on a form that was identical to a cacoon. Chloe wasn't sure how long she stayed like that. Minutes? Hours? Days? Weeks? Months? She didn't know and she couldn't hear anything. Just the sounds of her breathing inside the crystal cocoon and the blissful sensation of being able to finally get the rest she needed.


	9. Episode 9: I Think I Could Love You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As a heads up, there is going to be a lot of violence, gore and killing. I think, people saw this coming but I’m not sugar coating anything. If blood and death make you squeamish like Max Caulfield is in this episode, best skip over the intro and jump right into the middle. Granted this update was going to be bigger but I just couldn’t find it in me do it. I want to take my time and give good quality for the finale so here is the pre-finale. Enjoy!

**Time:** 5:00 AM

 **Location:** New York, Woodside - CIA HQ (2nd Floor)

* * *

 

Rachel shot another CIA agent and closed her eyes in frustration as she did it. Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes and nodded at Joyce and Max to come out of hiding, then looked back down at the dead man on the floor. "Agent Sparks. I never did like you, but wow. I suppose Jefferson had you all eating out of his hand pretty well that it was easy to consider betrayal to your CEO, huh?" Rachel peeked around the corner of the wall, did a quick scan of the area with her advanced eyesight, didn't see anyone else and decided for the moment, they were safe and could take a break. She held up two fingers and thrust them forward, signaling for the other women to move forward.

"This is seriously happening, isn't?" Max asked in a hushed voice, hugging herself for comfort and to keep her shaking under control.

Joyce gave her look of pity, but Rachel did no such thing. She holsted her weapon, turned to the other women behind her and put her hands on her hips. Narrowing her eyes, she tipped her head at Max to get the other girl's attention. Max looked at her and Rachel was gentle with her, knowing it would have been something Chloe would have wanted her to do. "Golden Hour, this is really happening and if the traitors think I'm going to surrender this base, give up and die, they have another thing coming and have clearly underestimated me." Rachel glanced at Joyce then back over at Max. "I need you and Joyce to follow my lead and do exactly as I say. The fact that I was betrayed by the Chief, you all were set up at the lighthouse, and the moment we get here, we're ambushed by my agents, tells me a lot. I am embarrassed this has happened but I can't say I'm surprised it's happened. Either way, I'm going to get to the bottom of this and I will, I repeat, I will take back this base and make sure those loyal to me remain while the others perish."

Max winced at the thought and found herself looking over at the dead CIA agent. She paled at the sight of seeing his lifeless eyes and the slow oozing of his blood tailing out of the bullet hole in his forehead and down his face. It made her sick. So sick, she had to look away to keep herself from making a mess on the floor in front of Joyce and Rachel. "Do you think Chloe made it out okay?" Max's question wasn't wrong, but it didn't go over well with the other women. Joyce crossed her arms in motion with Rachel and they dropped their heads and a awkward silence fell over the group. Their features saddened and hardened at the same time and Max bit her lower lip, knowing she had offset the mood.

"She doesn't die easily but she's human, Golden Hour. Chloe is subject to death, just like everyone else on the planet. It's just a matter of if she managed to escape, get out safely and is in one piece somewhere." Rachel muttered, raising her head and in motion with Joyce.

Max nodded then quietly went over to stand beside Joyce. "I hate to be a burden again Joyce, but my legs...  are starting to hurt again."

Rachel grimaced a little hearing the pain in Max's voice and felt a slight pang of guilt swell in her chest. Max's condition was entirely her fault and genuinely did feel bad for causing the other teen such distress. Her pride wouldn't let her admit it nor would it let her offer herself as a support for Max to lean against.

Joyce caught Rachel rubbing at neck and saw her gaze fall to the floor when Max spoke those words and smiled, deciding that Rachel feeling bad over hurting someone, was a good thing. Her humanity was still in tact, something Joyce feared she and Chloe were in danger of losing in their careers. "Here Max. Why don't you let me help you then?" Joyce hunched down so Max could climb onto her back and motioned with her hand for Max to get on. "Come on. We need to keep cleaning out the building with Rachel, but I'm hoping, the CEO will find us a safe place to keep you until that purge is over." Joyce caught Rachel's stare the second she raised her head and arched an eyebrow at her expectantly. "Right, Madam President?"

Rachel cleared her throat and nervously wrapped a strand of her hair around her finger. "O-Of course, Joyce. Securing Golden Hour is my top priority next to cleaning house here."

"With all things considered, is that title even necessary anymore?" Joyce asked, walking right up to Rachel. Joyce was tall, a little taller than Chloe and both were amazingly good at intimidating Rachel when they got up close and looked down at her with authority.

Rachel swallowed, pressed her lips together and shook her head then quietly admitted, "No... it's not. Max is my top priority and I will treat her like such. Besides..." Trailing off, Rachel averted her eyes away from theirs and found a random painting on the wall to look at. "Chloe asked me to be good to Max, long before today. I wasn't open to the idea back then, but with everything that's happen I-" Rachel's head snapped back around and she went into her Mutagen form without warning, startling the other two women.

Joyce had seen Rachel's Mutagen form at a distant. Seeing it happen up close, so suddenly like that, made the hair stand up on Joyce's neck. Max was use to the trauma of Rachel's Mutagen form, but she would never get use to chilling intimidation Rachel's presence projected in her Mutagen form. The elevator doors straight ahead of them, burst open and a big, muscular CIA agent stepped out with a certain type of gun that their research team was experimenting with. How and when he got access to the labs, Rachel didn't know. They were strictly sealed off, permitting her, the Chief and the scientists only.

"You two, get behind me, get down and don't get up until I tell you." Rachel gave this order without waiting for Joyce or Max to address her. She turned her head and lifted her hand. Using the power flowing in her, she released a gentle, soothing spiral of fire that wrapped itself around the two of them then expanded outward over their bodies, making a firm fiery barrier. Before Joyce could find cover, Rachel made the decision for them. With a twitch of her wrist, she caused the fiery barrier to shuffle them backwards near a janitor's closet door, a good ways away from her and the idiot who dared to raise the stolen weapon at her.

"Is Rachel going to be okay, Joyce? That agent looks really... tough." Max asked softly, watching the fight about to take place in the middle of lobby's hallway. Joyce eyed the agent that slowly drew closer to Rachel, weapon at the ready with a crazed grin on his face. Rachel stood there, unphased by the danger staring at her. Her lips curled up in amusement and her orange, whitish eyes slotted in challenge at the approaching agent.

"Sorry boss. Chief's orders. It's nothing personal. Besides, Jefferson said he'd pay us better since his gallery is taking off and give us our own Time Wielder slave for... pleasure purposes. Hard to pass up an offer like that, you know? Can you picture it boss? A Time Wielder who freezes herself and allows me to have my way with her? Over and over... and over again? And just lays there frozen in time while it's happening? I could take her ten times and she wouldn't complain about it. Best intercourse ever, am I right?"

Max's eyes widened and Joyce heard Max catch her breath. Personally, Max didn't know the Time Wielders the agent was referring to but her blood burned at his vulgar desires and she tensed on Joyce's back. She could have easily been one of those "pleasures" and it bothered her to know he didn't see anything wrong with what he was saying. Joyce glanced over her shoulder at Max and opened her mouth to see what was wrong when Max quietly lashed out, "What a jerk! That's my people he's talking about Joyce. Mutagens are not... slaves to normal humans!"

Max was angry, Joyce could see it and feel it. Joyce's gaze softened and her heart went out to Max in that moment. "Max. I'm sorry." She was still propping Max up on her back so she couldn't touch her and stroke her face, but Joyce did lean in and nuzzle her before turning her head back around to observe the event taking place. "I know Mutagens are not slaves to humans. That's just one group's selfish ambition getting the better of them. Just try to overlook it for now."

"I could freeze him and see how he likes being taken advantage of..." Max growled under her breath, digging nails into Joyce's back and tensing all over again.

Joyce slanted her head, made a soft expression, and squinted her eyes slightly in thought. "But if you did that in spite, then that would make you worse than him."

Max sighed and nestled down on Joyce's back then nodded gently in agreement. In unison with Joyce, they watched Rachel stare down the agent.

Rachel's grin stretched and so did the agent's. They were looking forward to fighting and Max was amazed at how much danger brought out the wild in Rachel and her agents, evidently.

"Die Rachel Amber!"

The agent released one round of a fog. It was a bullet but in a gas form of energy. It hit Rachel and Joyce and Max thought Rachel had been blinded by the brightness the smoke created. When it settled, everyone saw that Rachel had a hole through her shoulder. Almost a perfect circle and for a moment, the agent felt he had won, but then the hole cased over in fire. Rachel's wound was gone and her firey body crackled loudly, as if it was silently laughing and mocking the agent who had shot at it. Grinning, Rachel leaned in, stretched out her hands and  faked her shock. "Is that what you thought it would do?" Rachel pointed at herself. "Disable me? Well, under normal circumstances, sure. It would disable a fire Mutagen. It's why I had the scientist create it, for those Mutagens someone on the field runs into and finds themselves in a hard situation without a silver lining. But you forget, Agent Shouse..."

Max started to ask Joyce what Rachel meant but was aburently cut off by a rush of roaring flames incinerating the agent with the prototype weapon. The smell of rotting, burnt flesh filled the atmosphere and Max covered her mouth with both hands to escape the horrible smell. Joyce didn't seem to mind. She had smelled far worse and seen worse in her time as a target and learning to defend herself against the enemy. His remains, were nothing but ashes, not even recognizable. Rachel walked over and knelt down beside the pile of ashes of human flesh and metal. She reached out and traced the outline of where Agent Shouse's face was located. "Remember that I am the top of my Class. Therefore, such bio chemicals will not stop me. Only works on those lower than the best. Sorry you had to find that out the hard way." Rachel rose up and moved her arm across the area of Joyce and Max. Instantly, the barrier disappeared. She phased out of her Mutagen form and resumed her natural appearance. Tossing her hair over he shoulder, Rachel pivoted around and started for the elevator. "You two coming? We got four more floors to clear out. Not to mention the basement levels and my penthouse. So help me if they stole or broke anything in that penthouse. I have original pieces of art and vases from the Renaissance era."

Joyce smiled, glad to see that Rachel was taking the situation well. Max was holding up okay but Joyce could tell the sight of violence and death bothered her. "Of course, Rachel. Lead the way."

The group entered the elevator and waited for it to take them to the third floor. Cleaning out the traitors proved to be tedious with each floor they confronted. At one point, Joyce had to hide Max and help Rachel fight some agents who were Mutagen. Those types were hard but not impossible. Max felt useless and it wasn't because she had bruised legs and a sprained ankle. She just didn't feel helpful. She froze some Mutagens so Rachel and Joyce could get the upper hand a few times and rewound when Joyce got shot in the stomach on the fourth floor so they could avoid Joyce's fate. Other then that, Max didn't do much of anything else. She kept her feelings to herself and tried very hard not to cry. She knew it wasn't a good time to get emotional but she couldn't help how she felt. She wished Chloe was there, to smile at her and reassure her everything was going to be all right.

"Okay. We're about to enter the fifth floor. This level contains the agents who specialize in assassination. I'd like to think all of them are well and on our side but so far, everyone we've encountered has shown their true colors. So be careful." Rachel explained then stopped walking, forcing Joyce to stop with her. Taking a deep breath, Rachel slowly exhaled through her nostrils and took a moment to consider her options.

_She would **want**   me to keep Max safe. Even at the expense of my own life. If the enemy gets her, we're screwed. Right now, Max is for us and with us but Nathan said, Mark could control Time Wielders and if these agents are working for Mark and we slip up, goodbye humanity. Max is the top of her Class. On my level and unstable... great. That's. Just. Great._

Rachel turned to Joyce and opened her arms wide. Joyce blinked and so did Max. They shared a look then set their confused eyes back on Rachel. Annoyed, Rachel rolled her eyes and closed her arms, just to re-open them again. "Joyce. Give Max to me, that's a direct order."

Joyce and Max raised an eyebrow, almost hesitant of the command given. "Is this because I left her to defend your back and got shot earlier? Max saved me, she fixed it and we're fine."

Rachel held out her arms, refusing to take no for an answer. "Just... please? I've been letting you do all the work when it comes to her and this is the assassination level of the agency. I'm concerned for our safety. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried a little."

Joyce hesitated, but reluctantly helped Max down off her back and nodded at Rachel to take her. Max limped shly into Rachel's arms. Rachel waited for Max to throw her arms around her neck and cling to her. She closed her eyes and morphed into her Mutagen form. When she opened her eyes, hers burned into Max's, sending instant warm and cold chills through Max's entire body. The effect was so strong, the throbbing Max's legs suffered seemed to disappear and Max suddenly forgot she was in pain. Max gasped softly, amazed at how powerful Rachel's flames were and the heat rising off her body made her feel. It was like being in a trace, at total ease and like she was on top of the world. Max's head rolled back, then fell forward and she exhaled as another tingly sensation shot through her legs and made them tingle.

"Is this..." Max blinked open her eyes half way,  in a daze at what Rachel's power was doing to her body. Rachel smirked at her. She'd done that, and it pleased her knowing that she had. "What you feel all the time when you're in your Mutagen form?" Max asked, completely helpless and unable to stop herself from gazing into Rachel's glowing eyes.

In a rare moment of affection, Rachel leaned in slightly and pecked Max on the forehead. Rachel grinned, amused at how Max's slanted eyes gradually widened in shock. Max was so high on Rachel's power, she didn't realize that Rachel had shown her affection and when she did, she just stared at Rachel with her jaw sagged open in disbelief. "That's for me to know and for you to find out, Caulfield."

"Are you two done?" Rachel and Max turned their heads and stared at Joyce. She gave them a knowing look, then scoffed as she threw her arms up in the air. "Look, I think it's cute you two are getting along better and all, but keep in mind that we are in a messy situation. We probably shouldn't be standing around idly just because of the fact that someone might-" Joyce's quick, trained reflexes picked up on the presence lurking from the ceiling before Max did. Rachel felt it too but Joyce took care of the threat with one shot from her 9mm. Max winced hearing the gunfire from Joyce's gun and the sound of a thick body dropping from the ceiling. "As I was saying. Can we move this along? Before something like that happens again?" Joyce kept her gun out, took a fighting stance and carefully surveyed the environment. The lobby hallway on the fifth floor was medium sized, there were a few vendor machines on the far right side of wall and on the left side of wall, office doors with ID plaques bearing the names of the agents or staff. Joyce wasn't sure and she didn't care. Securing Rachel and Max was her only focus at the moment.

Rachel let go of Max and put a fiery barrier around her, herself and Joyce. Content, Rachel motioned at Max to get on her back. Max did and Rachel rose up, faced Joyce and jerked her head to the left. "There's seven in that room."

Joyce squinted and looked in the very direction that Rachel motioned at. "Seven? All right, anymore?"

Rachel nodded. "There's three more coming through the vents in the ceiling, probably going to drop down any moment and finally... one in the the last room, keeping hostages quiet from the sounds of it."

Joyce frowned. "Hostages?"

"That's all I can pick up on. I don't know who the hostages are at this range, we'd have to get closer. But the second we do, I'm pretty sure the hostages will be used as bait for Max and we can't risk that. Oh and more than likely, once those traitors drop down, they'll pull some moves that will stun us or worse, take us down long enough so they can get Max. They even have weapons to slice through my fire barries because, well, I always train my agents with weapons to disable humans and Mutagens."

Joyce rolled her eyes. "So basically, we're outnumbered and the second we move, they'll have us?"

Rachel looked over her shoulder at Max. "Not quite. Max, can you freeze this entire building and this building only?"

Max bit her lower lip and instantly felt herself start to panic. "You want me do that? Rachel, you and Joyce will be frozen too."

Rachel's features softend and she surprised Max by smiling. "I know. I need you to do me a big favor. Will you do it? For me? For Joyce?" Rachel's expression ashed over in pain, but only for a moment. "For... Chloe?"

Max tensed. Just hearing her friend's name tore her to pieces because Max was convinced, Chloe didn't survive the assault and if she did, she wasn't anywhere close enough for her anxiety to feel comfortable. Lowering her eyes, Max became sad as she thought about Chloe and everything that was at stake. Like a movie, she saw Chloe's history with her every since they made eye contact at Blackwell. Chloe's rocker punk, forged personality, to her fake gestures and speeches, to how in time, those same gestures and speeches became real. Not only that, but personal and the growth of their friendship, clear up to when Chloe shouted at them to go to her truck and get out. With a sheer look of determination, Max's eyes went stark white and she leveled her gaze with Rachel's. "What do you want me to do. Give the order Madam President and I'll do it..."

Glad to see that Max was getting a backbone, Rachel set her down and quickly explained the game plan. As she did this, she handed Max her gun and the moment their hands touched, the assiasians shot down from the vents and right at the three of them. "Max, do it now!" Rachel gave the order and just like that, Max froze the entire CIA building, with everyone inside of it and within the radius of where she had the power linger. She walked around Rachel and looked up at the masked assassin agent, who's blade was about to go through the middle of Rachel's skull. 

That was how close he was to taking her down. Max looked over and saw that Joyce had been stabbed and was in the snapped back position while the assassin was preparing to finish her off. She understood what she had to do, she understood it needed to be done and she understood if she didn't do what Rachel asked, they would all die. That is why, Max slowly raised the 9mm, took aim and steadied the barrel of the gun on her first target. Rachel's threat. He was closest and within range. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Max remembered the technique Chloe taught her and she calmed her breathed and shortly after, her hands stopped shaking.

"You all took my Chloe from me. You helped kill her, as far as I'm concerned. So you know what? You, the Chief and Mr. Jefferson can just... die!" Releasing a wounded battle cry, Max shot the first assassin agent in his temple and saw his brains spray out on the other side and then freeze along with the rest of time.

 

  

* * *

 **Song:** [A Hole In The Earth](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ta0pjS41YoE) \- Daughter

* * *

 

**_You have buried childish qualities_ **

****

Max walked over to the other assassin agent who stabbed Joyce. She was breathing harder and hot, angry tears were pouring down her face at this point. She raised the 9mm and took aim and found it was easier to blow his brains out then the first one. Even though they were the bad guys and clearly in the wrong, it still hurt Max to kill them. At the same time, it felt good to make the ones responsible for their suffering pay.

 

**_Friend make sense of me, friend make sense of me_ **

 

Max opened the door to the room where there were several assassin agents in the dark of the room, all staring readily at the door. Max clenched her teeth and in heat of the moment, threw down the gun and walked right up to an assassin agent. She took his katana blade from him and moved the sword up high above her head. She screamed and brought it down hard, right over his head, decapitating him.

 

**_I have many destructive qualities_ **

**_Friend make sense of me, friend make sense of me_ **

 

Max didn't stop there. She got behind the others, and did a number of moves on them, and never thought twice about what she was doing. Max sliced one assassin agent in half, put the sword down and helped peel his body apart, not even bothered by the smell of frozen blood staining her clothes, her face or her hands.

 

_**I have so much hurt inside me** _

 

Max took the katana blade and the 9mm with her into another room, and slayed each and every assassin, crying the entire time she did it.

 

**_Friend make sense of me, friend make sense of me_ **

 

Max finally entered the room with the lone assassin agent pointing his gun at the hostages. Some of those hostages, Max recognized. Nathan she didn't know so she overlooked him and at the others she knew. Warren, Brooke and Tracer were tied up and binded painfully, sitting with their backs pressed together in the middle of the room. Tracer's chest piece was damaged, cracked in several places and her complexion didn't look the greatest. Her head was bowed and she had clearly been struggling to breathe and where she was frozen, Max could see the light blue sparks coming from the chest piece and Tracer's body was slightly faded, almost like it was struggling to be solid.

 

_**I have so much hurt inside me** _

 

Max's eyes widened and in her rage, she stormed over to the assassin agent aiming his gun at the group and she put Rachel's gun to the back of his head. She fired and watched the blood spray out of the fresh hole she made in his skull.

 

**_Friend make sense of me, friend make sense of me_ **

 

Max unfroze time over the agency, her eyes returned to normal and the hostages reeled their heads back in shock seeing Max, the Golden Hour they had heard so much about, collapse to the floor and drop two bloodied weapons. They watched in a mute silence as Max curled into a ball and grabbed at her hair, sobbing Chloe's name loudly, on the verge of screaming it, and none of them could find it in them to move. 

 

**_Friend, friend (I have so much hurt inside of me)_ **

**_Friend, friend (friend make sense of me, friend make sense of me)_ **

 

Tracer eventually snapped herself back to being solid, even with her chest piece busted. She broke the binds around her wrists, did the same for the others then she crawled over to Max. She didn't bother moving Max into an upright position. Instead, she laid down next to Max on the floor and embraced her from behind. Just based on Max's breakdown, Tracer put it together. 

 

**_Friend, friend (friend make sense of me, friend make sense of me)_ **

 

Chloe was gone and had sacrificed herself so Max could live. Just thinking about that made Tracer tear up too. She squeezed her eyes shut, and buried her face in Max's hair and tried to comfort her, despite that her body flickered between being invisible and solid.

 

**_Friend, friend, friend, friend..._ **

 

* * *

 

Rachel entered the room with Joyce holding onto her stabbed shoulder, both draw in by the loud wailing of Max. They were glad to see that the hostages were safe but the damage Max left behind surprised the other women greatly. When Rachel asked Max to do whatever it took to stop the traitors and get to the hostages, she didn't think Max was going to slaughter them like she did.

Thankfully, there was no one on the sixth floor and Rachel's penthouse had not been wired to blow, like Joyce's house had been. Max was numb. She was completely useless and stuck in a emotionally spiral of despair. She had cut off people's heads, sliced their bodies open and blew their brains out until they were all dead. One. By. One. She sat on Rachel's couch between Joyce and Tracer, listening to Rachel talk with Warren and Brooke in the background. Nathan would have been present for the meeting but he took it upon himself to go scouting, just to make sure that there wasn't any extra lurkers waiting to come at them. Rachel didn't mind this, but she cautioned him to keep his phone on him and if he got in over his head, to page for help.

Nathan understood the direness of their situation and promised Rachel he would contact someone if he ran into trouble then went about his scouting while the others discussed future plans with Rachel. Out of everyone at the agency, those truly loyal, were the ones in the penthouse. That wasn't very reassuring and it upset Rachel that so many other individuals had been against her, this whole time, just secretly waiting for the day Samuel would release them on her.

"This is so messed up!" Rachel exclaimed, throwing her arms up in frustration. Several nods greeted her, except Max. She just sat on the couch, staring off into the distance in a grim silence. Her hands and clothes were still stained with the blood from the people she killed. Max was in shock and she was also numb to the shock. She didn’t want to loose it in front of everyone, so she sat there, blocking out the horrible images of her slaughter.

Warren glanced up at Brooke who was sitting at the bar in the kitchen then back over to Rachel. "When Agent Shouse came into the labs, asking for that prototype, Brooke and I knew something was up. God Madman President, I am so sorry. We lost a lot people, all over some idiot's desire to control Time Wielders too." Warren cupped his chin. "Did you guys happen to stop them before you came here?"

Rachel shook her head. "No. And they know we're alive and angry. Let them run, we'll find them and when we do, we'll bring them to justice."

Tracer slowly raised her hand and waited to be called on like a student in a classroom. Rachel and Warren looked at her and Rachel nodded, indicating that Tracer could speak. "Yes? What is it, Agent Tracer?"

"I literally only stopped by to check in with you before heading out to Britain. And it's a good thing I did, because things got crazy while you were gone. In the end, I couldn't fight them all off and once they hurt me right where it hurts, I was useless."

Rachel crossed her arms and took a defensive stance. "They knew your weakness, of course."

Tracer rubbed the back of her neck then dipped her head and groaned. Everyone looked at her and saw her wince. Tracer's face twisted in pain feeling her hand go invisible. Everyone saw her hand do this, even Max. It was a little hard for Max not to where she was sitting right beside Tracer.

Annoyed at herself, Tracer reached over and placed her solid hand over the transparent one and it eventually sparked and became tangible again. "I need to get Winston over here. I say here, because I genuinely wonder if other agents have... well... you know? Back stabbed you or just the CIA in general. Hard telling. Makes me question some things if the Chief of the New York branch in the USA was in league with your nemesis."

Warren gestured politely at himself and gave Tracer some hope. "I've studied Agent Winston's notes and have copies of them on my computer. I could make you a substitute chest plate until we can get him over here. And um... verify that he's not a bad guy."

Tracer smiled weakly, grateful for Warren's input. "Thank you, Warren." Tracer's weary eyes found Rachel's and she caught her rubbing at her temples. "Headache bothering you boss?"

Rachel scoffed and gave the group a quick once over before lowering her gaze to the floor. "This entire situation is a headache." Rachel walked over to her window and looked outside and down at the city nightlife below. She felt the eyes of her friends and co-workers watching her, waiting for her to say something to lift their spirits. Rachel thought of how she and Joyce found Max. A mess, emotionally disturbed, bloody, tired and weary. Trying to soothe Max and convince her that she did the right thing, was nearly impossible. Max was devastated and truly believed Chloe was dead. Rachel couldn't find any words to tell her she was wrong because deep down, she also believed the same thing. For the longest time, Rachel pressed her fingers and forehead against the cool glass, and mulled over her options.

She had nothing to offer them, she had resources but was suspicious of every single one of them. She had allies but couldn't trust them until she tested their loyalty. She opened her mouth and released a soft sigh and made up her mind. She knew what she was going to do. Turning around, Rachel faced the group and glanced between all of their tired faces and allowed them to see her own exhaustion spread across her features. "As of this moment, we can not trust the other CIA agents in the USA or branches across seas. I'm not saying they're all against us and I won't say that. But for now, the only people we can trust, are each other. The moment we suspect you are defecting, you will be dealt with, possibly killed depending on my mood. Do you-" Rachel pointed at every individual in the room. "all understand me?" Rachel smiled seeing them nod. "Good. Now, the other thing is, we have to act normal. I will inform the CEO's what happened and watch how they respond to this incident. Hopefully, we still have allies if not, we better get used to each other real quick, real fast." Rachel nodded once at Warren. "Take Tracer to the lab, and help her get stabilized, please."

Warren went over to Tracer and offered his hand to her, like a gentlemen. Tracer smiled and took it and followed Warren out of the penthouse, down the hall and to the elevator.

With one wounded ally cared for, Rachel glanced in Joyce's direction and hiked her thumb over her shoulder. "Joyce. Get some rest."

Joyce looked past Rachel and at the door Warren and Tracer exited through. "What about the dead bodies? Don't you think we should-"

Rachel waved her hand to the side, cutting Joyce off. "We can worry about that tomorrow. For now, get some rest. You need it, I need it, Max needs it. Everyone needs it. Speaking of which. Brooke?"

Brooke's ears perked up hearing her name. "Yes, Madam President?"

"Can you log today's event for me before you go to bed? I'd do it myself but, I want to stay near Golden Hour." Rachel caught herself and shook her head. "I mean, Max. I want to stay with Max."

Brooke slid off the bar stool and headed towards the door. "No problem boss. I got this. Sweet dreams. When I'm done, I'll come back up and find a place to crash. Oh right."

Brooke snapped her finger, remembering something important. "When Steph comes back from her vacation, are we going to tell her this news directly or..." Brooke stopped, turned around, and looked at Rachel, questionably.

Rachel cocked her head to the side and her expressions became thoughtful. "I'll let her try and figure out and if she can't, I'll tell her. Don't sweat it."

Brooke left, leaving Joyce and Max to Rachel. Walking over to the couch where Max was sitting, Rachel bent over and gently pulled Max off the seat and into her arms. Max didn't fight it. She slumped against Rachel and clung to her forearms, needing to be comforted. As if knowing that, Rachel glanced at Joyce and her face fell. "Joyce, I'm sorry. But could you give us a-"

Joyce held up her hand in quiet surrender and bowed just enough to where she couldn't hurt herself. "Got it. Girl time. No middle aged mommies allowed. I'll just show myself to my guest bedroom and try to not think about what happened today. I suggest you girls do the same. And Rachel, know that tomorrow I'm informing your father about what's happened. I don't believe James Amber is a traitor, and I also believe he will be very disturbed at the news and will want to be filled in."

Rachel shoulders slumped in defeat and she couldn't help but think negative and suspect her own father was in on the conspiracy. It wasn't fair but she was borderline paranoid and didn't stop to think if she was being rational. Rachel and Max stared at Joyce and she frowned sadly seeing and feeling their exhaustion and lack of hope. "And if he's not? What then, Joyce?"

Joyce lifted her eyes and gently gestured at the girls to relax. "Sweetie, if I think he's lying, I will cut the call, inform you and we'll relocate immediately to a place he wouldn't think to look. Fair enough? But let's not try to think every CIA agency and our own flesh and blood are out to get us  just yet. I know they trained you for betrayal, so apply those skills and let's take this one little step at a time. Okay?"

Rachel nodded distractedly, and found herself pulling Max closer. "Come on Max." Rachel whispered by her ear. "Let's get cleaned up and go to bed."

Max closed her eyes and buried her nose into the crook of Rachel's neck. Rachel gasped softly, not expecting to be affected by the cute gesture but to her shock, she liked it and it made her strangely want to be protective of Max. "O-Okay." Max muttered, letting Rachel guide her out of the living room, into her master bedroom and finally into the grand, luxurious bathroom.

They bathed in the pool-like tub, their backs against each other the whole time. Neither teen uttered a word. They were both thinking about someone they loved, someone who they were convinced they'd never see again. When they had rinsed off all the blood and grim, Rachel stood up and got out first. Max waited for Rachel to dry off and wrap herself in towel before opening her eyes and doing the same. Rachel saw what Max did and couldn't help but smile faintly at her attempt to give her privacy, despite that they were both girls.

Rachel and Max were the same size, so she happily lent Max fresh undies and pajamas. All of which were stylish, sexy and somewhat suggestive. Max studied her reflection in the golden framed mirror and narrowed her eyes, unsure if she liked how Rachel's revealing night clothes looked on her.

"Do you always walk around the penthouse like this? If so, the male agents must have been in heaven if they caught you on the clock."

That got a small laugh out of Rachel. "Of course! I like flaunting what I have. Be happy, Caulfield." Rachel leaned against Max and whispered in her ear, "Most of the time... I sleep nude."

Max blushed and her eyes gradually widened. "Did Chloe ever sleep nude too?"

Rachel leaned back and gave Max merry slap on the back. She forgot how naturally strong she was and Max grunted and tipped forward slightly. "Sometimes but not with me. She had her own private quarters you know? Plus Joyce was a stickler for making her behave like a "lady" and sleeping nude in Joyce's eyes, was immodest if there was company in the house. And Chloe? Well... Chloe didn't care either way but out of respect to her mother, she obeyed those rules, even at the CIA base here." Rachel crossed her arms and gave Max a playful nudge with her shoulder. Max blinked, surprised that Rachel was being so playful and open with her affection towards her. "Why do you ask? Do you like going commando too?"

Max blushed harder. "I..." Max trailed off and shook her head rapidly and Rachel grinned at easily flustered she got. "N-No. I've never really been the type to sleep nude. Umm... can we talk about something else now?"

Rachel laughed out loud again, tickled at Max's innocence and her painfully obvious attempt to change the subject. "Sure. Why don't we just head to bed and talk more tomorrow? It's been a really, long, stressful day and night."

Max nodded gently in agreement. "Yes. It has."

Rachel didn't want to bring up the obvious. So she didn't. She stepped in and took Max's hand into her own. Max turned her head and watched Rachel in silence, confused at what she was doing. Then, out of nowhere, Rachel tugged Max and led her over to the grand window at the end of the bed and turned to her. She continued to hold Max's hand in her own and Max watched with widening eyes as Rachel knelt down on both knees before her. Rachel reached in under her shirt and took out a tri bullet necklace, exposing it in the moonlight by the window.

Max squinted, recognizing the trio bullet necklace. Sensing Max's unspoken question, Rachel quickly slipped the tri bullet necklace off her neck, overturned Max's hand and gingerly placed the item in the palm of Max's hand. Max's eyebrows arched up in shock seeing tears spill from the corner of Rachel's eyes and the proud Mutagen lower her head down to her hand and kiss the three bullets in Max's hand.

"Oh Rachel..." Max breathed, feeling herself starting to feel the pressure building in her own eyes.

Sniffing softly, Rachel moved her mouth away from the tri bullet necklace and finally looked Max in the face, broken, shattered and at a loss. "I failed. I failed her, I failed the company, I failed myself, I failed good agents like Tracer but more importantly, I failed you, Max."

"Rachel." Max softly began but Rachel shook her head, cutting her off.

"Let me finish." Rachel took a breath and adjusted her sharp tone. "Please. I need to say this." Rachel brought her free hand down over Max's palm, right over the tri bullet necklace. She took slow, deep breath this time then gradually raised her gaze up to meet Max's gentle stare. "She was my soulmate, my best friend and I loved her. More than I loved myself. Our bond was unique, respectful, and hella personal."

Max smiled a little hearing the informal term fall from Rachel's lips.

"I was the one who asked her to take on a extra mission. In the beginning, it was just to help her relax, distract her from all the tension and negative in her life, you know?" Rachel genuinely smiled through her tears and even though she was clearly wrecked and emotionally shook, she still was beautiful to Max. "She was going to kill two birds with one stone. Spy on Jefferson and get up close to her assignment to find out why Sean Prescott wanted you. Everything changed when she started to like you as a real friend and even more so, as a best friend. She wasn't supposed to fall into a mutual friendship or even develop the attachment that came with it. She loved you, risked her life multiple times to protect you and it wasn't in the name of duty or out of obligation. It was simply because she cherished you that much. And I treated you, that behavior she genuinely shared with you, and her intentions with you as a target like crap. Because I didn't want to believe Chloe had come to love another the way she loved me. I would like... to honor Chloe's wishes and really try to be a good friend to you Max. I'm sure Chloe would love it if we became friends."

Max offered Rachel a kind, reassuring smile. "I think she would too. You healed my legs and I know you didn't have to do that, but you did. Just like Chloe didn't have to save me all those times, but she did. I just didn't want our friendship to blossom over her... her..." Max raised her free hand and wiped the tears hastily off her face. She sniffed and tried to center herself. "Over her death. I mean, we don't know if she's dead or alive but I... I just don't think she made it. That explosion was massive I didn't see her anywhere all the while we were on that ferry, she didn't text, she didn't call and everytime we tried calling her phone, it went straight to voicemail."

Rachel rose up in front of Max but kept her hand over Max's overturned one where the tri bullet resided. "I know. I'm trying to be hopeful but I can't pretend anymore. I truly think Chloe has passed away and if we're wrong, that would be awesome but... I literally have no way of knowing that. I um... want you to have Chloe's necklace."

Both girls glanced down at their hands and stared at them for a long moment.

"She wore this when she was attending Blackwell. It was a gadget and I was quite surprised by it."

Rachel chuckld weakly. "Ah. That one was a prop, a tool for the mission. I kept her real one on me at all times. She told me to wear it for good luck and when I got lonely for her company, to look at it, stroke the metal and think of her. She was that specific about it. I thought it was so silly back then but now... it doesn't seem so bad, does it?"

"Rachel I can't. It was Chloe's mento to you. I'd feel bad."

Rachel and Max looked up the same time and Rachel's features hardened, marking her agitation. "Would it make you feel bad knowing that these bullets, that make up this necklace, are from the night of her family's incident? The gun that man used, Chloe stole the evidence and emptied it. I don't know what she was thinking but it just struck her to make a necklace out of it. I'm thinking, it was to remind her of the man who killed her father and of the night that changed her life forever."

Max glanced back down at their hands and curled her fingers in around the three bullets. Rachel lowered her hands away from Max's hands and she stood still in the dark of the room, watching Max slowly put the tri bullet necklace around her neck. She smiled, admiring the golden tint of the metal that gleamed in the moonlight.

"Heh. It suits you far better than it did me."

Max looked down at the necklace on her chest then rubbed the back of her neck shyly. "Y-You think so?"

Rachel used the back of her hand to brush the remaining tears she felt running down her cheek away. "Totally. Now..." Rachel trailed off and gestured at her bed. "Let's get some sleep. It may be hard but we need to try. We're no good to the others dead and we're no good to anyone on no energy."

Max nodded and followed Rachel over to the king sized bed. They laid down and did something neither girl expected. They rolled over, faced each other and found themselves snuggling closer until finally, they reached out and hugged. They didn't plan it, but neither said anything or tried to break the hug. Their eyes fluttered shut and in the quiet of the room, they grieved the loss of their friend. The soft sobs and sniffling eventually let up and was replaced with deep breathing that eventually turned into light snoring from them both. Joyce poked her head in a few hours later, just to see how they were doing. She found them hugging on the bed and their combined breathing filled the room nicely. Joyce smiled and went over to the bed. She tucked them in, then kissed them dotingly on their heads before returning to her own bedroom to lay back down.


	10. Episode 10: Hurricane

**Time:** 10:30 AM

 **Location:** New York, Woodside - CIA HQ (6th Floor)

* * *

 

Rachel woke up with a dozen things on her mind. There was so much she needed to do, and get in order, starting with getting the deceased in body bags, and out of the agency. Rachel turned her head, and groaned just thinking about everything she had to do. She tipped her head back into the pillows, and yawned as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "At least we're still alive." Rachel mumbled, running her hands down her face lazily. She took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly through her nostrils. "For now, anyway." Rachel looked over at Max, and couldn't help but smile. Very carefully, Rachel untangled Max's arms from around her waist, then quietly rolled out the bed. She got dressed, and went to go see if Joyce was up for one reason. The bodies from the night before needed to be cleaned up, among other things Rachel wasn't looking forward to doing. She tucked Max in, and left her alone for the moment, knowing Max needed the rest. Walking across the threshold of her penthouse, and up to another bedroom door, Rachel raised her fist, and knocked lightly on the surface. "Hey Joyce? Are you awake?" Rachel asked, coming into Joyce's room.

Joyce nodded as she strolled out of the bathroom, dressed in what she was wearing last night, blood stains, and all. It would be like that until she went shopping for fresh, new clothes. "Yes dear. I'm awake. Did you sleep okay?"

Rachel shook her head. "No. Not really. It was a rough night..."

Joyce's features saddened. "I'm so sorry Rachel. I know you, and Chloe were close. I can't imagine the loss you must be feeling right now."

Rachel chuckled softly as she ran a hand through her hair. "Shouldn't that be my line to you? Chloe wasn't my daughter-she was yours. To lose William  _and_  Chloe, I would have thought you would be an absolute wreck." Rachel held up her hands, and shook them slightly from side to side. "No offense."

Joyce smiled, and her eyes slanted half way in remorse. "Oh… I am grieving in my own way. Just now, I had my little break down in the bathroom. Call it silly, but I didn't want you all to hear me crying. I do have some dignity, but it's failing really quick, really fast." Joyce hugged herself, and looked down at the floor, avoiding Rachel's eyes. "Besides… we have too much to do, and too many people to investigate for me to be a mess  _all_  the time." Joyce shrugged, sighed then shook her head. "I know how this goes. I can mourn Chloe's passing later. But for now, why don't we focus on cleaning up around here? We're going to need a lot of cleaning supplies, and bleach. Do you have any in stock? I know a few ways to get blood stains out of carpet, off tile, the works." Joyce raised her head, and offered Rachel a kind smile. One that covered up how she was really feeling.

Rachel returned it, and nodded at the door behind her. "I was just thinking that. Shall we go to the hazard closest on the 3rd floor, and get ready to soil our clothes? Again? And after this, I'll give you my card so you can go shopping. You, and Max need clothes so maybe after you talk with my dad, you can take her out, go shopping? I'm sure she could use the distraction."

Joyce walked up to Rachel, and pulled her into a one-arm embrace. "Sure honey. Anything to help. Now… let's go dispose, and bury those bodies?"

Rachel laid her head on Joyce's shoulder, saying nothing. Joyce didn't try to get Rachel to talk anymore after that. They left the bedroom, exited the penthouse, and traveled in the elevator down to the third floor. The women put on the safety gear, gathered together all the supplies they would need then set out to work. It took them several hours. Between gathering bodies, having Warren identify who each agent was, Brooke filing reports on the deceased, then finally, having the displeasure of calling their families. Rachel had to personally inform each family about their loved one’s treason to the agency, and the reason for their passing. She remained calm, and professional, explaining to each spouse, father, and mother why their loved one was dead, and why she herself had to end them. While Rachel was wrapping up the phone calls, Joyce spoke with James through email, not by phone, fearing that someone might still be tapping in, and she didn't want to endanger Rachel's family if she could help it.

James proved to be an ally, loyal, and faithful. He was hurt, angry, and had deep compassion for their situation. He assured Joyce he would be flying in, and coming to Rachel's aid ASAP, and cautioned Joyce to keep a steady watch on the activity of the locals, and to suspect that anyone who came into the agency, is a threat until proven innocent. Joyce relayed this news to Rachel, and the relief in her voice made Joyce feel good about confronting James. Clearly, Rachel didn't want to be one the one to speak with her father, and learn if he was a traitor. She didn't want to do it, which is why Joyce took that responsibility, and did it for her. After Joyce left her office, Rachel leaned forward and folded her hands together.

"Now that that's over with, I need to get back to Max. Hey guys?" Rachel glanced up to look at Tracer, and Warren. She was sitting behind her desk, drumming her fingers in annoyance to an invisible beat. Warren and Tracer could feel Rachel Rachel's raising aggressive and they couldn't be sure if it was directed at them or at something else.

"Yes, Madam President?" They asked, standing at perfect attention with their hands behind their backs.

"For now, keep a low profile if you go outside, stay close to the agency. One last thing…" Rachel trailed off, and lowered her eyes down to the desk. "Will you tell me it's going to be okay?"

Warren, and Tracer exchanged a worried look, then curved their heads back at their leader. Making pained expressions, Warren hesitantly replied, "Cheer up, Boss. It'll be okay." Warren offered, breaking his at attention pose and motioned playfully at Rachel. "We've killed off most of our people, so what's the worst that could happen?"

Rachel just stared at Warren in disbelief. He broke into a cold sweat, and gave Tracer a pleading look with his eyes. Seeing it, Tracer glanced away from him, and leveled her gaze with Rachel. Biting her lower lip, Tracer lifted up a finger, and grinned nervously. "Oh yeah, sure! What's the worst that could happen Madam President? You seem to be on top of things, and getting your bearings back."

Rachel nodded sarcastically. "Oh. How could I be so dense to think that. Hmm. Maybe because the worst already did happen!" Rachel feigned ignorance, and tapped her forehead to ponder. "I wonder what that was?"

Tracer shrugged dramatically. "I don't know Madam President. What did you have in mind?"

Rachel leaned forward, and slammed her fists on the desk, making a loud shocking noise that made the other two flinch. "Oh yeah! Chloe's  _death?!_ The CIA's elite agent for the USA is  _gone,_  and never coming back!"

"Oh. Right. Okay, okay." Warren winced, scratching the back of his head in thought. "Is there anything we can do, you know, to make it better?"

Rachel groaned, and leaned back into her chair. Holding her forehead, she dismissed the two with a wave of her hand. "No. Just… stay alive, and be on standby. Agent Tracer, after I debrief Max on what her future here will be, I'll see about getting you hooked up with your people at the United Nations. You two can go now. Oh. And if you see Nathan before I do, tell him I need to speak with him."

Nodding, Warren, and Tracer turned to go and left Rachel alone. She slumped further back into the seat, and looked up at the ceiling. Not only was she fuming, but the ceiling's light was irritating her. Rachel did not hesitate to nab her left shoe, and fling it into the light, shattering the glass cover to pieces onto the floor she was to stand on. Rachel sighed, and looked around the room. That bookshelf was bothering her too. Rachel stood up from the desk, and wantonly trudged through the sea of glass shards to get to the other side. When she was standing in front of the bookshelf, she began to tear or throw any books her eyes locked onto. Not even close to being satisfied, Rachel returned to her desk, to find her next target. She grabbed the lamp and violently hurled by its cord it at the paintings behind her, the clock on the wall, and other items on her desk.

When the lamp's head shattered into threateningly sharp rigs, she used the broken top to stab, and tear open the couch, causing fluff, and cotton to shoot out everywhere. It wasn't enough. She screamed and scoffed as everything she hurt didn't seem to satiate her self-hatred.

"I never understood your fascination with wanting to die Chloe. We had a million talks about how you would go down, and _not one of them_  included you sacrificing yourself for Max, for me or your mother! What happened to wanting to die alone, and miserable, far away from those you love, huh?! When did you start caring about others to the point, that you would lay down your life instead of expecting to be hit off one day on the field?!" Rachel hissed through clenched teeth. "Screw you, Price!"

Rachel wasn't thinking anymore. She was furious at Chloe for leaving her, even though she didn't want to view Chloe as the bad guy, that's all she could think about. Rachel continued her rampage, and began to chuck the phones, the pamphlets, and books from the desk, when she outstretched it for another victim, suddenly her hand halted. She pulled her hand away to stare at the compilation of photos of her, and Chloe. Her heart throbbed as she picked up the picture frame, and all her throat could let out was a weak choking sound. She bit her lip, and allowed the tears to flow, chucking the picture frame on the floor, and bawling. Once her tears trickled from her chin, and dripped onto the photos they alit, sparking vast waves of flames in the room. Rachel held her head, and screamed louder, her fire consoling her once more as she continued to cry.

At that exact moment, Nathan opened the door to Rachel's office, and lightly remarked, "Hey. Warren told me you wanted to speak to-- _whoa_." Nathan saw a wall of fire lace the room, and he stared blankly at the tearful Rachel that shot the most vicious glare at him, hotter than the room itself. "Umm… I know sometimes you make me feel pressured under the collar, but wow Amber." Nathan winced as he gingerly hopped from debris to debris to save the soles of his shoes. He climbed onto the desk, the last remaining island in the sea of fire, and yanked Rachel by the hand to stand up there with him.

"Talk to me. Cry on me. Tell me what you need me to do." Nathan whispered softly as his thumb rubbed the back of her hands. Rachel tried to pull away, leaning away from him, but Nathan wouldn't release her. She sniffed, and decided using Nathan as a support at moment, didn't seem so bad. She gave in, and hugged him. Nathan held Rachel, and kept his attitude professional, but he didn't mind it either when she leaned further into him and clung at his forearms.

"Tell me what's bothering you, Amber? I gave you drugs in the past, and we kept in touch on a go-to-basis. So it's not like we don't know each other here."

Rachel nodded, and released a quaking sigh as she leaned her head back to look at him. The crackling flames slowly toned down, returning to their origin, into her body. The room went back to its original temperature, and the materials in the office, save for a few spots on the carpet, remained intact, unharmed by Rachel's flames. As much as Nathan wanted to question Rachel about that, he let it go, and focused on her, and her reason for erupting in the first place.

Nathan let out a sigh of relief, dropped his arms from around her, hopped off the desk, and onto the floor. Facing her, he lifted his arms in a shrug, and raised an eyebrow. "Okay. Now, let's talk about what's wrong-"

Rachel shook her head, jumped off the desk, and went back to hugging him. Nathan blinked, eyes darting left, right, then setting on the window straight ahead. Rachel closed her eyes, and buried her nose into his neck, catching the mafia crime lord off guard. "No. I just… want to be held, right now. We'll get to business in a moment. Can you do that for me, Prescott?"

Nathan stretched his neck, and rested his chin past Rachel's shoulder, bringing his hands up to rest on the middle of Rachel's shoulder blades. "Uhhh… sure Amber. I can do that I guess."

Nathan received his orders after Rachel let him go. He was to accompany her, as her personal bodyguard, since all of her bodyguards were dead. "So, you want me to become CIA official? Shame. I enjoy being rouge."

Rachel shook her head. "No. You can remain rouge, I just want you to serve me until things get… back in order. I'll pay you, and make sure once I can verify what agents are loyal verses traitors, I will give you protection."

Nathan cupped his chin, and squinted, weighing the options over. "Last people you gave me to watch over me, turned into-"

Knowing what he was hinting at, Rachel scoffed, and shot him a dirty look. "In my defense, even I was in the dark, and taken advantage of. I'm sorry that happened Nathan. I really am. Can't we agree to have each other's backs? God forbid  _every_  CIA agent is corrupted. That's a lot of lethal people aiming their guns at us if they are. Surely you see the logic in my proposal? It only makes sense to join forces."

Nathan put his hands on his hips, and smirked at Rachel, making her instantly uneasy on the inside. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Nathan walked up to Rachel, and grinned, like he knew something that she didn't and Rachel didn't like that. "Seriously Nathan, what is it?"

"I'll do this, but on  _one_  condition."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Should have known this would come with price." Rachel shrugged then motioned at Nathan to hurry up, and move things along. "Okay, okay. What do you want in return for your services?"

Grin still plastered on his face, Nathan pointed at himself, and boldly declared to the proud Mutagen in front of him, "If we live through this insanity and manage to nab or kill Mark, I want you to go on a date with me. No ifs, ands, buts about it. You will go on a date with me, you will have to go wherever I say, and do whatever I say until the date is over."

Rachel stared wide eyed at Nathan, and her soft pretty lips formed into a pout. "I knew you had a crush on me, but that is just-"

"Do you want my help or…?" Nathan playfully teased as he merrily walked away to the door. She turned to him in a fluster.

"W-Wait!" Nathan stopped and slowly spun on his heel to face her, his smile bigger than before. She bit her lip since she really didn't want him to have his little victory dance. Rachel got red as she combed through her hair. "Mmm… one date. Okay? And if you do anything I'm uncomfortable with, I'm free to leave."

"That's no fun." Nathan frowned. "Knowing you, the moment you see me, you'll say you're leaving because just the sight of a Prescott, equals trouble."

"Drat. You know me too well." Rachel glared at him. The man watched her lips for a bit as she spoke, making her purse them together when she was about to speak again. He gave a soft smile and pulled her closer by her hand, intertwining their fingers.

"How about a safe word?" He snorted when Rachel looked distraught. "A safe word for if you're uncomfortable. But you can't leave."

The petite brunette darted her eyes to their interlocked fingers and fumbled the idea over in her head. After what seemed like Soon she spoke up. "Okay…" Rachel didn't realize she was holding his hand as tight as he was with hers, comfortable from the warmth it gave off. Nathan covered her hand with his second. "Crispy."

Nathan smiled. "What?"

"The safe word."

"Are you mocking my-"

"No." Rachel giggled, then sighed and glanced up at him.

"All right then Amber. Let's try it out, should we?"

Rachel blinked. "Huh? How…?" Rachel turned her attention to him and felt his lips press against hers. She didn't notice that she lost all of her breath until he pulled away. His pretty blue eyes watched her winded expression. Her lips were parted as she couldn't wrap her head around the sudden kiss. "I… N-Nathan, I-" Nathan hugged her tightly and began to kiss along the top of her head. Rachel's eyes fluttered close as she sank her face into his shoulder, getting whiff of his expensive cologne. It was only then that she realized what she was doing and stiffened in his arms. "C-Crispy!"

"Are you sure? You seemed to enjoy my hugs a lot."

"Crispy, crispy, crispy!" She squealed, her hands weakly slapping his back.

"Fine. If you say so." The moment he released her, she shot away from him, darting behind her desk to avoid a comment on her red expression. Nathan sat on the desk and checked his watch. "Feel free to admit you liked it, anytime now."

"Get! Out!"

Laughing, Nathan slid off the edge of the desk and turned to Rachel. Nathan wasn't terribly shocked to learn that would be his fate at the agency, despite that he didn't agree to sign up full time. He saw the problem Mark had caused and he made it very clear before he left Rachel's office that he was willing to do whatever it would take, to stop that man once and for all. Nathan also assured Rachel, he would transfer his men over to the agency and inform them of their new situation, which made Rachel very happy. Rachel resumed her tasks of cleaning up the agency after Nathan left, amazed at how much safer she felt having Sean Prescott's only living heir, working for her.

 

* * *

 

A little while after her interesting agreement with Nathan, Rachel slipped on the CIA janitor uniform. She called Joyce to the floor and together, they scrubbed and collected bodies of all shapes and sizes. A few hours later, they returned to her penthouse to relax for a while. While Joyce prepared their brunch, Rachel used the bare of her wrist to push up her goggles that protected those pretty eyes from blood splattering and she carefully began to pull off each glove.

"Max!" Rachel resonated her voice in the middle of the living room, only hearing a sudden abrupt thud in reply and a loud hiss of discomfort from the other girl in the bedroom.

Rachel opened the door to her bedroom and quickly slipped off her boots, which were caked in rusty colored mud. She went to go stand by the dresser and casually began to strip out of the CIA janitor uniform until she was in a tank top and shorts. Comfortable again, Rachel turned to the messy clothes, threw them in the laundry hampers then proceeded over to the bed. The sunlight coloring Max's bed and exhausted face melted Rachel's heart and she felt herself do such a thing, Rachel shook her head to clear it. "Can I ask what that noise was you made earlier when I called you?" Rachel grinned and Max rolled over on her back and looked at Rachel with a slightly annoyed expression.

"I slammed my head into the wall trying to wake up to your calling, that's what."

"You're very responsive thank you." Rachel laughed but Max simply glared at her before burying her face into a pair of pillows. "Hey, hey. Don't be like that. Wake up! We have much to look forward to today." Rachel leapt into the bed and slammed on top of Max, causing the wind to shoot out her stomach. Max winced from the pain and feigned enthusiasm Rachel was projecting.

"Wowser. I can't wait for potential life-threatening situations again. What a life to live."

"I'm really feeling that spirit." Rachel grinned, curling into the sheets with her and nuzzling Max awake.

Annoyed, Max tried to close her eyes and go back to sleep. "Max. Max. Max." Rachel paused and punched Max's shoulder playfully. "Ignore me all you want. So not stopping until you get up. Max-"

"I'm  _up_!" Max growled, slapping her face with a pillow Rachel hugged and scaled the pillow to get to her friend. Max opened one eye to see Rachel hovering above her with a huge grin. She gave an annoyed expression. Rachel kissed her forehead and Max threw her hands up with a sigh and surrender. "Okay. Okay. I'll get out of bed."

"Finally. Now let's go fill our bellies. I'm starving." Rachel hopped out of the bed and did a small dance before running out into the halls. "Bacon! Bacon! Bacon! Bacon!" Rachel cheered as she ran out.

"Uhhh. Pancakes. Pancakes. Pancakes." Max weakly cheered after her before yawning, "Dude, what's got you in such a good mood anyway? You were all…  _you know_."

Rachel stopped and gave Max a curious once-over. Max couldn't find the spine to bring it up so she just mimicked the serious expression Rachel always did. Rachel bit her finger as she looked away in thought. "Mmm. Well, I can't be…  _you know_ … all the time. Stress causes wrinkles."

Max stared at sleepily at Rachel before her hands hung in disbelief. "That can't be your reason."

Rachel simply smiled and began to dash again, unaware to Max, she was pinching her cheeks and trying to rile her happy-go-lucky face back up. "Joyce! Feed us!"

"It's all ready, just come and get some!" Joyce's voice chimed from the kitchen as the two young adults marched up to the bar.

The jiggly mass of fluffy food was perched next to a stack of fine strawberries and blueberries. As they were taking their seats at the bar, Joyce brought over a pan of eggs, being sure to evenly cut the amalgamated poultry into three so each of them got two eggs. She quickly placed an open jar filled with french toast sticks in the center by the syrup and condiments, as well as a plate of bacon in case anyone wanted seconds. Max and Rachel's stomachs howled in harmony at the pretty sight that was perfectly hued by the morning light spilling through the blinds.

Joyce caught their stares and laughed. "Don't just stand there. It's for you. Eat all you want. There's plenty."

"Can we really?" Max wantonly scrubbed drool from her face when she noticed it.

Rachel bit her lip in restraint. "It looks so pretty that I don't want to eat."

"Well, more for me." The mother smirked as she sat at the bar, and pulled a french toast stick from the jar and dipped it in syrup. Rachel and Max exchanged expressions before diving for the food.

"Move, Max!" Rachel snapped, trying to grab some pancakes first. Max stuck her tongue out at her but waited for Rachel to get her share, like a good friend.

"Now, now girls. There is enough for all of us. I made sure of that."

Max and Rachel nodded and resumed their advancement on filling their plates. Max did not hesitate to eat, making sure to stuff as many bacon, and french toast strips onto her plate as she could. Rachel stared at the tempting, sizzling bacon, but the thought of her ruining her figure made her fret internally. Rachel whined softly as she watched the other two women eat their bacon that was slowly depleting in population.

Joyce heard the whine and followed Rachel's gaze to see why Rachel sighed the way she did. "You want some bacon?"

"No!" Rachel shouted on impulse, straightening her back in her seat. Her face got red and she glanced away to avoid seeing their amused expressions.

Joyce smiled before stabbing one of her strips with her fork and offering it to her. "Say 'ahh'."

Rachel blushed again before leaning forward and opening her mouth for Joyce. "Ahh." The moment her teeth broke into the strip and melodic crunch was heard. Rachel's eyes fluttered shut as she basked in the burst of flavor in her mouth.

"It's really good isn't it-" Joyce cut off her own words when she opened her eyes to see tears streaming down Rachel's face.

"Woah! Rachel is it that good?!" Max looked back at her with a mouth full of egg and had to quickly swallow her food to avoid choking on it.

Rachel's eyes watered against her will. "C-Chloe liked… bacon too." Her voice quaked as she intertwined her fingers together.

Max pursed her lips in silence and watched her. Rachel lifted her face and gradually started to cry, trying to muster a smile, but her sadness made it so hard for her. Max glanced down at her pancakes, knowing that Rachel was struggling to accept the lingering problem the three of them shared.

"Maybe we should save some for her." No one said a word to the suggestion. "For when she comes back."

Joyce's heart sank as she watched Rachel, feeling tears well up in her eyes too. "That won't be necessary, Rachel. Didn't we agree that Chloe is-"

"Maybe we're all wrong and she'll come back. She always comes back."

Joyce's features hardened and saddened at the same time. "Rachel, sweetie…" She cautiously began but Rachel cut her off.

"And she's going to be really hungry, a-and-" Rachel couldn't take it anymore. She covered her eyes with her hands and burst into tears. "She'll come back! Hungrier than ever before! She'll eat bacon with us, with all of us! She will! She-"

Max gritted her teeth before grabbing Rachel by the shoulders, making her attention snap to her. "Rachel, stop!  _Chloe is dead!_ You're making this even harder for us, especially for Joyce!"

Rachel's eyes widened and Joyce turned her back to the two to cry quietly. Rachel's lips quivered as if she was trying to apologize, to say anything to make her intention seem a little more selfless. Rachel gripped Max by her shirt and bawled, louder than ever. Tears painted Max's cheeks but she didn't shout at Rachel for getting upset. She shut her eyes and hugged Rachel even tighter, biting her lip hard to shove back her own tears.

"You all finish your plates. I'm going to just… take my leave. I don't feel like eating anymore." Joyce looked up at the ceiling in attempt to reel the tears back, but they fell anyway. Sighing, she slid off her bar seat. Joyce rigidly fixed the hem of her skirt, looking at the two before turning away and rushing out of the kitchen. Rachel sobbed and choked in Max's embrace.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt her. I wanted to-"

"It's okay. I know you didn't mean to hurt Joyce's feelings." Max cooed, and hugged her, reaching for Rachel's forks and splitting her pancake up. She stuffed a fat triangular slice into her mouth when they broke their hug. Rachel was devastated.

"Did you just-" Rachel got cut off by Max's laughter.

"Eat your pancake? Yes. Yes, I did." Max averted her eyes innocently.

"You're the worst kind of criminal!"

Max continued to eat, not fazed by Rachel's anger. "I'm saving you and your diet."

"Diet my foot, I just ate bacon! Pay your fine or eat the consequences!"

"Consequences are delicious." Max hurried to snatch her own plate away from Rachel's evil hands.

"Eat your own!"

"You didn't eat  _your_  own!"

"An eye for an eye and the world goes blind, Rachel! Get over it it was only a piece of pancake!"

Rachel growled at her and turned away in a huff. She looked back at the blissfully chewing Max, but since she looked so happy Rachel couldn't help but laugh.

"What are you staring at?" Max asked between chewing of her food.

"Thank you. You did that to make me feel better."

"Heh. Not only did I help, but I also got an extra slice of pancake."

Rachel squinted, "You're walking on thin ice here, Max."

Max shrugged and smiled at her softly. "Sorry."

Rachel sighed. "It's fine. Listen, since we're here and getting things out in the open. There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about."

"Oh yeah?" Max mused, stabbing another fluffy piece of egg. "Like what?"

Rachel took a slow deep breath, fixing her eyes on Max's innocent face. "It's about what happened… you know, when you killed those men and women the other night."

Max paused, and the fork lingered half way by her open mouth. "Oh." She whispered, lowering the fork back down. "I… I had almost forgotten about it. Umm… what exactly do you want from me then? To go downtown and turn myself in to the NPD?"

Rachel's next response surprised Max. "Turn yourself? No. That's too easy. Honorable, and I'm sure once explained, your penalties may lift somewhat if we can prove it was self-defense." Rachel paused, staring harder at the other teen. "Which it  _was_  self-defense. But instead of taking you in to the local feds, I had a much more brilliant plan I found favorable for both of us."

Max tilted her head to the side. "Uh-huh. Like what?"

Rachel turned in the barstool chair, facing Max completely. With a daring grin on her, she held up a finger and wagged it. "Hold on. Give me minute and I'll show you."

Max watched Rachel slid off the barstool and hurry into her office in the penthouse. She continued to sit there and wait for Rachel, and tried to block out Joyce's soft crying in the background. Rachel returned a few minutes later with a slick black folder. On the front of the black folder, there were red letters in CAPS font that read: GOLDEN HOUR. Rachel retook her seat at the bar beside Max, and quietly slid the black folder around their plates of food and over to Max's still hand. Max's fingers curled inward, and she stared at Rachel, unsure of what Rachel was trying to hint.

"Okay. I'm not a rocket scientist or anything, but… this folder here. It's mine, correct?"

Rachel nodded. "Yes. Everything I and Chloe took note of during her time with you. Everything about you, is in this folder. Except the Mutagen power and the type of Class you are. Which for the record, is S, like myself." Rachel shrugged, not concerned about such details. "It doesn't matter. I mean, it does but at the time, I didn't I didn't get a chance to add the information to your case."

Max slowly raised one eyebrow and her faced muddled up in confusion. "Well that's all fine and dandy. But why show me this  _now?_  It's not like I'm Chloe's mission anymore…"

Rachel rolled her eyes and went ahead and opened the black folder for Max, to show her what she wanted Max to see. Max's eyes fell to the black folder and its contents. The first page she saw, was not tucked behind the flaps on either side of the black folder. It was right there, exposed in the open. Max's eyes widened seeing the CIA logo at the top, then the faded gray font in the other corner. Her jaw dropped and instantly, Max's eyes snapped up to Rachel's amused smirk.

"You want to-"

"Yes, Maxine Caulfield. I, Rachel Amber, the CEO of the New York branch in the United States of America-want  _you_  to join my team." Rachel leaned in and placed her hand over Max's. She gently squeezed Max's hand, but made sure to keep eye contact. "Officially, legally, become a CIA agent. If you do that, I can work my magic with the NYPD. Don't worry. I won't lie to them. I'll just tell them what I they need to know. What I want them to know and knowing myself, I can clear up this mess in your record." Rachel looked down at their hands, then back up at Max's face. "What? Did you think you would be able to erase this? Sorry, that's not how the adult world works. You killed people, in self-defense because I told you to. I'm partly responsible for what has happened. This is my way, of wanting to make things right with you. Not just for that but…" Rachel's gaze fell to their clasped hands once again. "For… everything I did to you back then." Rachel removed her hand off of Max's, and into her lap. She sat there, staring down at nothing, patiently waiting for Max to say something.

Max pressed her lips together, and felt herself break into a minor cold sweat. She was nervous. She was anxious. And… excited. Excited to go into danger? Hardly. That was not Max's strong suit and it never would be. The thought of being useful for once, and using her skill for good, is what excited her. "Yes."

Rachel jerked her head up, eyes wide, mouth partly open. "Wait. Really? You'll join the CIA?"

Max gave a slow nod. "Yeah. I'll join. But I'm doing this for myself. Not for you, not even for Chloe." Max frowned as her eyebrows knitted together, creating a crease in her forehead. "All my life, I've been forced to run from danger. All my life, I've had to pretend that I'm okay with what everyone decides for me." Max shook her head, her expression becoming more serious, and Rachel noted the change. "For  _once_ , I've been given the choice to actually do something about it. So, you know what? Count me in. I'll fight for you, I'll work for you, I'll do whatever you want. Record cleared or not, I'm yours."

Rachel's features softened. She reached in her jean's pocket to withdraw a pen, then she laid it on the application on the counter. "Then read through these policies, guidelines, and regulations. After you agree to these terms, sign your name on every line where I circled the X."

Max leaned forward and picked up the application. It was thick, and there were a lot of papers she had to read. She sat there, at the bar, and carefully read through each one, in front of Rachel. An hour and thirty minutes later, she reached the last page, nodded briefly, and cast Rachel a charming smile. "Do  _all_  CIA agents have to-"

"Yes." Rachel answered Max, knowing what she was about to ask. "They have to follow every single policy, no exceptions unless given by me or the Chief. Who… isn't here. But that's beside the point. Chloe got away with what she did because Chloe chose to defy me, the rules, and just do whatever she felt like doing. Please don't make my job harder than it needs to be like she did."

"My parents are going to flip out. But to be honest, I think they knew something like this was going to happen."

Rachel cocked an eyebrow, and scoffed lightly. "They foresaw their precious little girl growing up, slicing off people's heads, cutting body's in half, and finding out she's a Class S Mutagen? Family reunions at your place must rock, huh? 'Hey honey. So glad you're home for the holiday. I hope you're happy enjoying a life full of secrets, violence, and running from crazy people who want you for your power. Have some cake while you're here, but make sure you check for needles, and other notorious traps before you eat it.'" Rachel rolled her eyes. "Yeah. I'm sure they're going to love hearing the news that you're a CIA agent. Between you and me, I think they would have preferred you to be Blackwell's Honor Roll student. But then again, your GPA sucks. 1.6? Sad Caulfield. If I was a villain, I would slay you over that."

Max grinned. "Really?"

Rachel mirrored Max's grin and nodded. "Yeah. Really. 1.6 is just… loser pathetic. Did the nerds even socialize with you?"

"No. They said I was-" Max made quotes with her fingers. " 'under qualified' to join their gatherings."

Max replied in a low, straight forward voice. Her face was so serious as she said it, Rachel actually laughed out loud.

"Wow. That  _is_  bad."

Max set the pen down, suddenly full of determination. "So. Now that I've signed my life away. What now boss?"

Rachel crossed her arms and spun herself from side to side gently. "Hmm. You calling me boss is  _definitely_  something I can get use to. First order of business is the legality drama. Let's get your record cleared with the NYPD, and properly registered into the database. After we do that, I will be calling the other CEO's and inform of what happened here, at the New York base."

Max moved her plate off to the side so she could rest her elbows on the counter. "Then what?"

Rachel hopped off the barstool. "Hopefully, if the other CEOs are still loyal, and not Jefferson's pawns, we ban together to stop that jerk once and for all. We have zero leads on him and Chief Taylor, but they can wait. We need to get our people squared away first."

Max asked Rachel a question, one that made Rachel stop walking and freeze. "And if the CEO's are not loyal?"

"Then…" Trialing off, Rachel looked over her shoulder at the other girl with sad eyes. "We try to peacefully turn them over to the local authorities in those areas, so they can go to jail. If they leave us no choice and attack us and force our hand, then… a repeat of what happened here, will happen with every CIA branch across the world, Max. That's a lot of people, that's a lot of branches, and I know that. But if there's moles, we need to push them out. It's  _that_  important. Because if we don't go after them while we're ahead, they'll come after us with a murderous intention. So yeah." Rachel resumed her stride to her office, eager to

Max nodded, then casually returned her attention to her plate of food. "That's what I figured." She muttered to herself, reaching for her fork.

While Max continued to eat, and Rachel file Max's application, Joyce had cried herself to sleep in her bedroom. She was devastated that her daughter was dead. Joyce always knew it would be a possibility as long as Chloe lived on the edge. Joyce knew it was silly of her, but she dragged herself out of the bed, and left the upper floor so she could go sleep in William's old room. She didn't tell Rachel or Max where she was going, and thankfully, neither noticed her leave. Joyce entered his space, turned the light on and sadly gazed at the neat, tidy room. Chloe would had made William's room, her room when she stayed at the CIA for missions. Joyce sniffed, and felt herself about to break down again. Desperate to distract herself, Joyce began to walk around the room and run her hand along the furniture. She was doing okay, keeping a steady pace, when the back of her heel suddenly snapped in half. It caused her to fall over, but Joyce's quick reflexes saved her from hitting the floor.

"That hurt." Joyce carefully bent over to remove the heel when something caught her eye. She turned her head and saw a safe, near the head of the bed. This safe, was rusted, cased over in stains, and had peeled in several places. "A safe?" Joyce questioned, blinking rapidly. "Isn't that  _my_  father's safe that he gave William on our wedding day? What happened to it? It looks terrible." Joyce slowly approached the rusted safe, and when she was standing directly in front of it. She knelt down on her knees and reached out to cradle the bruised lock in her hands. The very lock that came with the safe. She knew the combination, because William told it to her the day she announced she was pregnant with Chloe. Chloe's date of birth, was the lock's combination. Joyce squinted as two possible theories raced through her mind.  _Did Chloe keep this, as a reminder of William? If so, there's no way she would have opened it, because he never intended for it to be opened by anyone but him or myself. I thought, he had gotten rid of this a long time ago. When I asked him about it, he said he took it somewhere, because he didn't want it in the house anymore._  Joyce started to input the lock's combination.  _I always thought it was strange that he didn't want it in the house, and when asked, he never would tell me where he took it. Evidently, he took it here. To the CIA… but why? William, what were you keeping from me?_

Joyce hummed thoughtfully, then smiled hearing a click on the lock. The latch popped up, released the door. The heavy iron door groaned open, revealing a few items of importance. A recorder, what appeared to be a video cam recorder, and an aqua glass, lab syringe. It was empty, but whatever had been in it previously, had left a faint residue in the clear tube. It was faded, barely noticeable. It glowed, giving off a dim light in the dark safe. Joyce's eyes widened.

"Drugs? Was William taking  _drugs?_ " Joyce gathered all the items out of the safe, rose up and went over to sit at the desk across from the made bed. "Why on earth would he do that? Wouldn't Rachel or Chief Taylor have noticed? They did drug tests periodically, yearly. This stuff-" Joyce picked up the empty syringe and carefully examined it in the light of the sun. "Is so painfully obvious, surely it would have shown up in the screentest? I mean the compound in there is  _glowing_  for God's sake." Joyce shook her head, jarred at the thought of her late husband abusing anything. Sighing, Joyce set the empty syringe down, and decided to move on to something else. She glanced at the recorder, reached for it and hit the play button without thinking. William's voice filled the room and instantly, a pang of longing overwhelmed Joyce. What made the hair stand up on the back of her neck, was the first line of the recording. William greeted her. Not Chloe, not Rachel, or any other CIA agent. He was talking to her.

" _Hello Joyce. If you're listening to this, then that must mean I'm either being held against my will by the enemy somewhere, and may or may not come back. Or worst case scenario neither of us want to happen. I'm gone. Dead. There, I said it for you so you didn't have to. -sigh- More than likely, someone has killed me. And what's worse, I think I will know who will have put a hit out for my death. Whether it be this year or in the far future."_

Joyce caught her breath as her head snapped in the direction of the recorder. "William?" She whispered in a desperate voice, almost forgetting that what she was listening to was a past recording of his voice.

" _Joyce, there's… a lot going on. And I don't even know where to start, so I guess I'll just start from the beginning."_ William's voice softened and Joyce could almost see his eyes light up as a smile formed on his face. " _It's a long documentary, I ask that you are patient, listen to this message with understanding… and can forgive me for what I put inside of our newborn daughter."_

Hearing that, Joyce stared at the recorder with a stricken expression on her face. "Put inside our newborn daughter? Wait…" Joyce's eyes traveled back over to the empty syringe. "It can't be. Is that what he's referring to?" Joyce scooted the chair more into the desk and leaned forward, eager to listen to the rest of William's message so she could piece the clues together.

" _Before I was a field agent CIA in the United States, before we were even dating, I was a lab scientist for the CIA branch in Germany. I was also Dr. Catherine Halsey's partner. The German government wanted super advanced drugs to give their soldiers in the military. They went to the CIA, requested help and the military was directed to Dr. Halsey. She umm… did some weird stuff to the test subjects the military offered to her to use. Yes, offered. Their men and women were seen as expendable, so if they died during the testing, oh well. Dr. Halsey didn't care, and neither did the military. All they were concerned about was positive results."_ William sighed deeply, and Joyce heard the vexation in his tone.  _"She went through so many people Joyce. The human body, is a temple. A sensitive place, it was never intended or designed for that kind of treatment. My personal opinions of her harsh testing were irrelevant. She didn't listen to anyone, but herself. Anyway, I had a job to do and we had a deadline to complete it. Now, each department had money to fund their testing, projects, you get the idea. Her department had the most money and was the most popular, as the German government was concerned. So of course, Dr. Halsey got everything she wanted. She had everything, but the perfect drug."_ William's tone shifted. Now he sounded happy, cocky almost.  _"But I had thought of it. Not even trying, I formed the perfect drug and didn't require a test subject. I can say this in confidence, because all of my tweaks were based off her mistakes. Everything I saw go wrong with Dr. Halsey, I added to my research, making note to **not**  do the same thing. Eventually, Project Hurricane was created, but lacked one more ingredient. My department didn't have the funds, I was frustrated because my breakthrough had been stunted. I went to Dr. Halsey and asked her for money to finish it, but when asked how would I repay her that money, I did something foolish… now remember, this was before I met you, all right?"_

"I have a bad feeling about what he's about to say…" Joyce muttered, holding her head. "Please, please William. Don't confirm what I'm thinking. Please don't."

" _I promised her the best test subject money couldn't even buy. I promised Dr. Halsey, my own seed. If and when I had child, I would let Dr. Halsey use that child in one of her experiments, whether it was for military purposes or just playing around. The child would be hers."_

Joyce pulled at her hair and released a loud, frustrated cry. "You  _idiot of a husband!_  Why did he do that? Why did he think that was a good idea?!" Joyce's question was answered by William's next statement.

" _This was a terrible idea that was going to come back and haunt me. I did what I did, so I could get ahead of Dr. Halsey, possible earn a promotion in rank and take over her department. I had plans, good ones that didn't involve hurting lives. But in the science world, in that area of the world, it was a dog eat dog world. No pats on the shoulder, no free pass to success. You played dirty to get ahead. I know now, that was not wise of me and wrong of me to do. Back then, I began to snap out it the more I worked on Project Hurricane. Dr. Halsey gave me the money and I added the last ingredient to the compound. Blue wings, of a butterfly."_

Joyce deadpanned. She wasn't sure what to think at this point, but as much as she wanted to stop William's message, she couldn't bring herself to do it. She sat there and kept listening to his story.

" _I added the DNA of a single creature into the drug. There were other traits Hurricane had too, all artificial copies of the real thing. I'm assuming, if you've found this, you have discovered what a 'Mutagen' is. If you haven't, Mutagens are people, just like you and me with super powers. It is still unknown where the origin of these powers came from. But Mutagens are all around us, and many don't even realize they **have**  power until a dramatic, life traumatizing event takes place in their lives. Chloe, our daughter who in this recording, is merely twelve hours old, is not a Mutagen… but I made her one."_

Joyce's jaw dropped. She blinked, looked left, right then back down at recorder. "He  _what?!_ "

Joyce jerked out of the chair, and began to madly pace around the room. She was so mad, and could feel the anger at her deceased lover rising. It didn't do Joyce any good to be mad now, but she couldn't help it.

" _I know. I'm awful. But there's a reason I hid Hurricane inside of Chloe. If you're pacing, like you normally do when you're mad at me, please stop, sit down somewhere and listen to me."_

Just to spite him, Joyce remained standing, but she did stop walking around and stay in one spot.

" _Hurricane is a drug, composed of artificial powers from the DNA of the test subjects who failed Dr. Halsey's tests. I took samples of their DNA, used a powerful tool that extracted the Mutagen gene only. With those genes and the DNA of the blue butterfly, I created Hurricane, the ultimate super soldier drug the German government desired for their military. That Dr. Halsey would kill for. When she found out I had created such a thing, she offered to buy it. I told her no, that it wasn't for sale. That I would only give it to the general of the military or a member of the council. I kindly reminded Dr. Halsey we were asked, to create a drug, so the drug by default, wasn't hers and it wasn't mine."_

Joyce went over to the bed and sat down on the edge. She crossed her leg over the other and wagged her ankle gently, seeing a pattern.

" _Dr. Halsey was so jealous of my success, and wanted the glory so much, she had General Keys of German military killed, Joyce. I'm not going into details on that, it's not important but when I found this out from her daughter, Cortana, what her mother had done, even Cortana advised me to leave. Her words were, 'Get out while you still have time.' I wanted to take Cortana with me, I wanted to save her, but she was weak against her mother, and strongly loyal to the woman she hated. I requested a transfer to the USA, became a field agent and worked my way up. This confession, is not on my record. I did not want it be. I wanted to forget what I had done as a scientist in Germany with Dr. Halsey, and I foolishly thought I could do it."_ William laughed, but it wasn't warm, inviting or pleasant. It was bitter, and Joyce was going to completely honest, scary to listen to.  _"I was such a fool. Dr. Halsey sent spies by night, played the good scientist to the CIA during the day. No one suspected her treason or could link the murder of General Keys to her. But I knew the truth. Cortana knew and everyone in that lab, knew. But we were all powerless to stop her. As good as I am, she is better. I didn't stand a chance against her, and she knew it. But Chloe, was different. When you told me you were pregnant, it was only a matter of time before Dr. Halsey would learn about it, and I wanted to be ready for her. She wanted the drug for herself, no longer for her country or kinsman, just for whatever twisted ambitions she had. I put Hurricane in Chloe, to hide it from evil people like Dr. Halsey. In the wrong hands, Hurricane would the death of humanity, and no that is **not**  an exaggeration Joyce. I'm dead serious. The little girl you gave birth to twelve hours ago, is a  **weapon** of mass destruction. Not just a child. Her powers will mature, and rise above all the Mutagens known to man. Chloe will become unstoppable." _William's voice dropped to a faint whisper.  _"Unbeatable. She will know no equal, she will be my legacy in her glorified body, outshining anyone who tries to compare to her radiance. But ultimately, Chloe will eventually become **immortal**._   _So, the only way Chloe dies, is if Chloe kills herself… that is the one secret to Chloe's power. Dr. Halsey doesn't know that, but I'm sure if, and when she finds out, she will be even more angry with me, and with this family."_

There was long, dramatic pause and Joyce wondered if William's message had finally died, but then she heard him clear his throat and say,  _"I love you. I love our daughter and I'm sorry I failed you as a husband, and died. I'm sorry I failed Chloe as her father. But know this much. I did what I felt was best for her, for you, and for humanity. Oh. One last thing before I go. I want you to understand, that I didn't ' **choose** ' to leave you, Joyce. Dr. Halsey made that decision… for the both of us. Do me a big favor? Don't go off, and tell people about this just because I'm dead. Someone might get hurt, or worse, get killed. Horrible things I don't want to happen. Not for you, not for anyone. If you do tell someone, make sure they're trustworthy, and no one is bugging the room." _At that precise moment, Joyce heard a whimper in the background. Her heart twisted in her chest, recognizing the start of a baby cry.  _"Ahh. I'd talk more, but I need to go now. Chloe is waking up, and I don't want her to wake you up. Know I will forever love you. Good-bye, my precious one. I'm so sorry I couldn't grow old with you. But glad to know if you're truly listening to this, that you survived, and hopefully, are in good health."_

There was static, jammed interference, then… nothing. Warm tears ran down Joyce's cheek, and her throat constricted again. She cried for her husband, she cried over the deception her husband did, but she also shed tears of joy. After a long moment of mourning, Joyce choked out a small laugh as she wiped the tears out of her eyes. "Well this is certainly… different." Smiling a little, Joyce looked out the window with a soft expression on her face.

"Chloe is immortal?" Her gaze fell to the empty syringe on the desk. "Can't die unless she kills herself, huh?" Joyce went over to the desk. “It's nice that I have this knowledge… but does Chloe know that?" Joyce ran two finger tips over the tube of the syringe. "I think I'll keep this discovery to myself for now. And pray that Chloe is out there, somewhere."

Joyce placed a hand over her heart, focused, and tried to quiet her nerves. "It may not be right to keep this from Rachel and Max, but… if William is correct in his hypothesis, then Chloe is the one we all should fear. Not Dr. Halsey."

 

* * *

 

Several hours later on into the day, Rachel retreated to her office on the third floor and was reviewing with her in depth about what had happened. Faith was a loyal friend, but Rachel did push her in the beginning. When Faith saw what Rachel was doing, she shut down the integration, and demanded to know why Rachel was testing her so hard. Rachel sighed, and admitted everything. She was prepared to get yelled at, instead, Faith softened and asked Rachel what she needed her to do. Rachel was relieved Faith was loyal, as Faith was a powerful ally, co-worker, and leader in the CIA.

_"Faith, I'm so overwhelmed. I have so much to do. What… does one do, when something like this happens?"_

Faith had a calm, serious expression on her face. Her eyes were narrowed in deep thought, and she was learning her shoulder against the wall where the flat screen for phone calls was hanging. "Well, this isn't favorable to you, your agency, or those like me who are innocent and loyal to the company. But I get why you had to do it. I just wish you didn't have to."

_"There's a lot people in the CIA, Agent Connors. This isn't going to be easy. Just talking to you nearly drained all the energy. Emotionally, I mean."_

Faith glanced over her shoulder to see Plastic waltz in between Icarus, and Nomad. They caught their leader staring at them, returned the look and all three Runners smiled big. They adored Faith, and she grinned back and gave a small nod of approval. "You know what? I  _might_ have a way to cover this treason investigation for you."

Rachel's tired eyes widened.  _"Really?"_ She sounded unsure.

Faith chuckled, and gave the group of Runners piling on the black couch a soft smile. "Yes. Do you trust me, Madam President?"

_"I don't think I have a choice right now. My options are limited."_

Faith pushed herself off the wall, keeping a steady eye on the Runners. "Oh no. You have a choice. You just have to make the right one."

Rachel sighed. _"Um. In that case… yes, Agent Connors. I trust you."_

Faith grinned."Good. I'll get back with you in bit. Oh and… I'm sorry. For your loss. She will be missed. I had great respect for her. A lot of agents did." Faith cleared her throat, and quickly added, "Agents who are still loyal that we know of, that is."

Rachel's eyes shut, knowing exactly who Faith was referring to. _"Yeah… I am too. Thank you, Agent Connors. I appreciate your concern. Take care and be wary until this boils over."_

The second Rachel cut their connection, Faith walked over to the gathering area, and put herself between the Runners on the couch.

"Oh. Hello there boss. You want to watch  _Glee_  with us too?" Nomad asked, swiping up the thin slate remote to turn on the flat screen TV.

Faith crossed her arms, shaking her head. "No Nomad, I don't want to watch  _Glee_. It's not my cup of tea." Faith turned her head and caught Plastic's stare. Plastic nervously started fiddling with her thumbs, fearing Faith was going to ask her to do something dangerous, possibly illegal. Normally, Plastic would jump at the opportunity to do those things. Today, she just wanted to relax on her day off.

"Plastic. I have a job for you."

Plastic rolled her eyes, and released a dramatic sigh. She took off her head phones, and tossed them over the couch, as a way of rebelling at her leader. Faith arched an eyebrow and smirked, finding her childish behavior quite amusing.

"Oh. I'm sorry. Is my hacker busy today?"

"Apparently not busy enough." Plastic mumbled as she hugged her knee. "I did overtime."

" _Apparently_  not enough." Faith parroted.

Plastic wrinkled her nose at her. "Faith, what do you want me to do this time?"

Faith leaned in, pushed the headband covering Plastic's ear up, so she could hear the order clearly. Pressing her lips gently against Plastic's ear, Faith whispered, "I need you to hack the CIA agencies all across the world. Then, I need you to find out who's a sworn their allegiance to the CIA, then find out if the agents, and CEO's have pledged their loyalty Mark Jefferson, and Samuel Taylor."

Plastic, and Faith leaned away from each other, and Plastic found herself staring at Faith blankly for a moment. The other Runners were enticed with  _Glee_ , and failed to notice their exchange on the couch. Plastic blinked a few times. Plastic took a very, very prolonged slurp of her slushy by her side until it was completely empty. Afterwards, she pressed her lips together, and looked around as if there was an additional person within the room before pointing to herself.

"Me?"

Faith nodded. "Yes. You."

"Hack the CIA?"

"Yes."

"On my day off? Right Now?"

Faith nodded again. "Yes."

Plastic clicked her tongue, and chewed on the tip of her slushy’s straw. "When you finally accept that you have problems, you come to realize even your boss has more than you."

Faith snorted, and dropped her jaw in amusement. "Pardon? Wait Where are you going?"

"Not here." Plastic replied as she salvaged her laptop, and frolicked out of the room.

Faith ran after her. "Plastic, I'm serious!"

"And I am seriously having a vacation on my day off." She called behind her, "I don't get paid enough for this."

"I'll pay extra!"

Plastic turned on her heel, and leaned against the stairway she was heading to. She furrowed her eyebrows in utter frustration. "My work, wasted on hacking the  _CIA of the world_? Sorry. It's worth more than those sweet boots, and that yummy paycheck you give me, even if you doubled it."

Faith flailed her arms over her head. "But I need it now and you're dependable! Whatever it takes!"

"It's because of President Amber, isn't it?"

Faith spluttered, "Pfft! What?! No!"

Plastic narrowed her eyes, and pulled the straw from between her teeth in her doubting look.

"I-I'm serious!" Faith insisted, feeling her cheeks redden.

Plastic looked Faith up and down before pointing at her. "You owe me meals for two months.  _Including_ breakfast, and dinner. Plus five boxes of your shoes so I can rig some sweet deals on Ebay."

Faith made a disgusted face. "Did I just open a gate for you to get healthy free meals?"

"You want the notes, and results on this case or not?"

Faith pursed her lips, biting back the edge in her voice. "Anything else, your highness?"

"Keep that nickname. I like it."

Faith rolled her eyes. "Sure. Could you get started on the work for me now? We don't have a lot of time to kill. Twenty hours at the most."

"On it,  _peasant_." Plastic stuck her tongue out, and walked past her back to her room, "Now if you'll  _excuse_ me, I have a felony to commit."

Faith threw her arms up in frustration. " _Not a felon—_ we're legal agents!"

"Tell that to my lawyer when I get arrested."

Faith rolled her eyes, shook her head, and retreated to her office to grab a beer. "I swear, that girl drives me to drink. It's only her. I have how many Runners, yet she's the only one who manages to do this to me? Man, I'm losing my touch."

While Faith, and Plastic were getting ready to hack into the CIA database, Rachel was busy updating Steph and Stella on what had happened in her office on the third floor. Steph and Stella had finally come back from their vacation, and prior to learning what happened at their agency, they were sincerely wishing they hadn't returned.

 

* * *

 

A few weeks later, Max had her credits from Blackwell transferred over to CIA agency where her schooling would continue. Rachel didn't see anything wrong with Max wanting to finish her schooling. She did advise Max to remember, now that she was a CIA agent, Max would need to learn to balance her agent life with her normal life. Max's parents were called, and improperly informed by Joyce, the voice of reason in their small group. Rachel wanted to tell the Caulfields about Max's new career, but Joyce felt it would sound better if the news came from another adult, who had raised a child that worked for the CIA. Rachel and Max couldn't argue Joyce's logic, so they let her handle the Caulfields.

Vanessa was against it, Ryan was all for it. In the end, both parents allowed Max to live as an agent, even though they expressed their fears about Max getting killed or kidnapped, Joyce assured them Max was in good hands, and everyone at the agency was working hard on building a strong future for all Mutagen agents. Rachel was happy life was slowly returning to normal. Tracer returned to the Britain when Faith could verify that the Overwatch agents were safe. Not only were they loyal, they were ticked off to find out what happened to Rachel's agency.

" _Are you sure you're going to be all right, Madam President? You're taking on a lot of responsibilities and-"_

"I'm fine, Agent Tracer." Rachel muttered, cutting her off. "I really wish everyone would stop asking me that."

"No, she's not! She hasn't slept in weeks!" Nathan called out in the background with his hands cupped on the sides of his mouth.

"Nathan! Not! Now!" Rachel roared over her shoulder.

Nathan tucked his arms behind his head and swayed gently from one foot, to the other, narrowing his eyes. "Agent Tracer, come back to America. You were only happy person in this joint."

Rachel reeled back in her chair, applauded at his response. "That's not true. Agent Hill, Steph, Warren, Brooke, Joyce, and Max, have been wonderful company."

Nathan glanced away, staring off into the distance of Rachel's office. "They're all in different zones. Warren is trying to make crap, Brooke hates everything that breathes, Agent Hill doesn't trust me." Nathan shrugged. "Eh. I don't blame her. I'm a Prescott after all. Let's see, Joyce Price is grieving, and walks around half the time in a daze, but I will say this. Her food is amazing." Nathan dropped his arms, and stared at Rachel, his lips curling up in amusement. "And you? You're just moody, cranky, and probably on your period. So yeah, please tell Agent Tracer to come back."

Rachel blushed, amazed that Nathan had guessed correctly. She wasn't going to tell him  _or_  Tracer that. Standing up, Rachel leaned halfway over her desk and pointed at the door. "Prescott, get out of my office! Don't you have some poor helpless citizen to intimidate, and sell drugs to?"

Nathan held up his hands in quiet defeat. "Okay, okay. I'll check in with you later."

As Nathan started to leave, Rachel blinked, suddenly remembering why she called him into her office. "Wait. I need that update report."

Nathan shook his head with a pleased grin on his face. "Nah. You're busy. Give me a ring later on."

"Nathan!" She slammed her fist on the desk, just shy of cracking the surface. "Wait!"

Nathan didn't listen. He exited the office, and as he left, Max came in with her new camera bag over her shoulder.

She was hugging a math book to her chest, and had a hopeful gleam in her eye. "Rachel, can we study now? It's five o' clock. You told me we could..." Max trialed off hearing Tracer snicker on the line. "Oh. Are you busy?" Max hiked her thumb over her shoulder. "I can come back later."

"No!" Rachel exclaimed at the top of her lungs. "Just… sit, and I'll get to you." Rachel glared down at the phone hearing Tracer burst out into a series of giggles. "You think this is funny, Agent Tracer?!"

" _I… I can't. You mothering Agent Caulfield, trying to juggle your usual duties on top of the extra is just priceless. I can't even."_

Max's eyes widened seeing Rachel's face turn bright red.

"I. Am. Not. Mothering. Anyone." Rachel was going to say something else in her defense, then she got a new beep from another base. She said a quick, rushed farewell to Tracer, and answered the call. It was Plastic, checking in to see if there were more bases she wanted outside of the usual. "Um, no. What you did in twenty hours, was amazing. The sub bases I'm not really worried about-"

Rachel was abruptly interrupted by Warren bursting into her office with Brooke. They were arguing loudly, each out talking the other. Everyone heard them, even Plastic.

"I'm telling you, they need Mutagen themed foundation armor. Light armor only. Heavy will just slow the agents down." Warren growled, shooting Brooke daggers.

"No." She quipped back. "They need light human themed foundation armor. Mutagen armor is a bad idea. Especially if the Mutagen knows how to get around it! We've been over this!"

The two turned their heads, and gave their leader a demanding glare. "Madam President, which idea do you think is better?!" They asked together, pointing accusing fingers at their co-worker.

Max looked over her shoulder to see Rachel with her head locked back, her hair dipped over her shoulders and eyes shut. "Rachel, are you okay? You look like you're about to-"

Rachel swung her head forward, and released such a peculiar, loud scream that Max didn't even know could grate out of her throat. Brooke, and Warren hugged each other as they heard the screech that left Rachel's lungs, unsure of how to respond to the spontaneous punch into their eardrums. Even Plastic lost her words over the phone.

"Everyone  _stop talking!_  Just  _stop!_ " Keeping her narrowed eyes, Rachel pointed between Warren, and Brooke. "Combine both ideas, mesh the fiber biotics I had Nathan import from the black market. And whatever you two do, make it to where assassin puncture points are protected, so disabling techniques will not be so easily penetrable during battle." Rachel leveled her gaze, and gave her friends a strong, heated glower with her eyes. "I'm in a bad mood." Rachel slowly drew the statement out in a very dangerous tone, sending chills down everyone's neck. "Understand?"

Max pressed her lips together, and kept her head down, thinking that would be best to show Rachel reverence. Warren and Brooke nodded slowly, refusing to speak. Plastic kept her mouth shut too, not because she was afraid of what Rachel would say to her, but because she didn't want to hear Rachel's screech again.

"Okay. Good. Now get out of my sight."

Warren left first, then Brooke scampered behind him. When they were gone, Rachel glanced back down at the phone, finally able to have a sense of stability again. "Plastic, I'm fine with your work. If I need your assistance, I will get in contact with Agent Connors. Understood?"

" _Yes Ma'am."_

Rachel nodded slowly, took a deep breath, then exhaled through her nostrils. "You're dismissed." Rachel hung up with Plastic, then put all her incoming calls on pause, forcing them to forward to her voice inbox. Leaning back in her chair, Rachel ran her hands up and down her face, sighing softly.

"Do you still want-"

"Yes, Max. I want to help you with your homework. Get over here."

Max scooted her chair closer to the front of Rachel's desk. She smiled sweetly at her friend, then carefully placed her schoolwork on top of the desk in front of Rachel. Rachel picked up the math book, and softly flipped through the pages, scanning the information.

"Okay, so how many problems do you have to do?"

Max grinned faintly, then pushed her paperwork towards Rachel. "One-hundred, and ten problems."

Rachel dropped the math book, and gawked at Max in disbelief. "What?!" She exclaimed, arching her neck back in shock. "Why so many? I never had to do that many for one assignment."

Max shrugged. "Actually, it's minor compared to some course requirements. See?"

Max gestured at the math book. "This is Advanced Calculus."

Rachel blinked, slightly tilting her head to the side. "You're taking Advanced Calculus?"

Max nodded innocently. "Yes."

"Why?" Rachel asked in a flat tone, unconvinced Max was approved for such a class.

"Because I scored higher in this field than any other and the agency here, decided this course would suit my level of skill."

Rachel glanced left, right, then back at Max's face. "But you had a 1.6 at Blackwell. Math wasn't your strong suit either."

"I was taking Physics at Blackwell, and for whatever the reason, it confused me, okay? But go figure, I'm an ace at Advanced Calculus…"

Rachel frowned softly, but didn't press the issue anymore. "Okay, okay. Let's just do this. I have a business call with the CEO in Australia after this. President Hampton has a lead on Mark Jefferson, someone we really need to stop as soon as possible."

Max leaned forward, shifting comfortably in her seat. "About that. Are you going to take me on that mission?"

Rachel opened the math book to a random page, and gave a hesitant nod. "Yes. If I feel you're ready by then for field work, of course I'll take you."

They dove into Max's assignment, each working out the basics of each math question. By the time they were nearing the last two problems, Rachel's hair had come undone from her neat ponytail, and she had loosened her tie around her collar and slipped off her vest jacket. She was sweating, from the inner temperature increase from her period, felt slightly nauseous to her stomach, and had the worst headache she had experience in a long time. Doing so much math, just made her brain hurt. Max glanced up to look at her, saw her exhaustion, then returned her attention back to the paperwork Rachel was helping her with.

"Okay, so if I divide the P by X, and subtract the 6Y by 7, it should come out like this…" Rachel went on, mumbling possible solutions to herself when Max's soft voice broke her concentration.

"Umm, Rachel?" Max hesitantly reached across the table to pick up her math book.

"What _is it_ Max? Can't you see I'm busy trying to help you solve this problem?"

"Yes, and that's why I'm stopping you. That's not how my teacher wants me to do it." Max turned her math book around, lifted up for Rachel to see, and pointed with one finger at the diagram on the page. "He wants me to do it like this."

Rachel blinked hard, and stared at the diagram in disgust, then finally snapped her eyes over to Max. "I don't  _know_  that way, Max. My father and the agents here taught me how to do it  _this_  way." Rachel threw the paperwork, and pencil at Max, making her flinch. "When, and where did the school system change math?"

Max gently gestured at Rachel to calm down. "Rachel, chill. It's okay. All we have to do is follow the instructions, and we'll-"

Rachel pointed with authority down at the table, and boomed in a loud voice. "Math is  _math!_ It shouldn't matter how we do it, just as long as we find the answer to the problem!"

Max winced, and gave Rachel a pained smile. "Rachel, I think you should retire for the night. We did over a hundred of the problems, I get how to do it, so I'll be fine." Max waved at Rachel to dismiss her. "Go on. I'll be fine."

Rachel stood up from the desk, and did just that. She left her office and Max sitting in front of it, and retreated to her penthouse. She took a long bath, nibbled on a little snack, then put herself to bed. She dreamed of many things. The one dream she dreaded and loved at the same time, was one with Chloe and her going to a lighthouse, and watching the sunset together. She had her head resting on her shoulder, and each had one arm snaked around the other's waist. Chloe kissed her on top of her head, whispering how much she loved her. Rachel saw herself in the dream bury her nose in the crook of Chloe's neck as she sighed in bliss. Rachel's eyes blinked over, many hours later, long after everyone in the building had done to bed. She almost expected to see Chloe there in the bed beside her, snoring softly with her back to her. Rachel reached, stroked the sheets repetitively, allowing herself to relish in past memories.

"Chloe." She whispered, teary eyes fluttering shut. "I miss you…" Rachel's chin quivered against her will. "So much." Rachel lowered her head back down into the pillow, kept her hand on the other side of the bed, and clutched at the sheets desperately. No matter how much she wanted Chloe to be there when she opened her eyes, she knew that the moment she did, there would be no one in the room with her. Chloe's laugh, her smiles, the way she would glare at her when she was annoyed-all those precious moments with her best friend were gone. Chloe was dead… and was never coming back. Rachel jerked violently and rolled onto her back and clutched at her hair, trying hard to force the sobs racking her body to go away.

Eventually, Max heard Rachel crying, and wanted to go comfort her. She got out of her bed, entered Rachel's bedroom, and settled down beside her. She hugged her, kissed her on the temple, then rested her head on Rachel's trembling shoulder. Rachel didn't fight Max for once. She rolled into her arms, and exposed her vulnerability to her. She held her, cooing to her softly. Rachel fell asleep, clinging to Max. Max laid there on her side, cradling Rachel close. She stayed awake for a little while, then she felt her eyelids grow heavy, and nodded off. She missed Chloe too, but for Rachel's sake, she didn't let herself cry. Chloe was Rachel's pillar of strength. Max decided, until further notice, she would become that support for Rachel.

 

 

* * *

 

  ** _5 months later..._**

 **Time:** Unknown

 **Location:** Wolfsburg, Hattorf - St. Nicolai Kirche

* * *

 

Hattorf was a quiet district of the city of Wolfsburg in Lower Saxony The St. Nicolai Church. This church was the newest base of operations for a rogue, outlaw base in that area. It was the perfect set up. No one would suspect that a church, was a testing ground for Catherine's experiments. For many years following General Keys's demise, the government officials didn't suspect Catherine was behind the attack. However, when the assassin who took William's life left a letter expressing his personal thoughts about his mission, he left a few clues as to who his client was. A name was never mentioned, nor was a gender, but characteristics were. James Amber turned the letter over to the local authorities, who got in touch with the German government.

Word leaked to Catherine that people were coming to investigate her lab, and possibly, shut down any active experiments she had. Catherine took as much with her as she could, and those loyal to her. The ones who weren't, and strongly suggested she turn herself in, were simply killed off, and disposed of. Catherine did fear being caught by the German government, but not enough to stop her experiments. Catherine, and her team went into hiding, fell off the map, and continued to work, even though they had no reason to. Catherine wanted Hurricane, and now, after 19 years of waiting, she finally had it. It may have been in the body of a girl, but it was still salvageable.

When their people stumbled across the boat five months ago, and found the Mutagen in a crystalized cocoon state, no one was sure what they'd find if, and when the Mutagen merged from their slumber. A week passed, and during the weekend, Catherine was visiting the church's base underground. She checked in, doing her usual rounds at the lab. She, nor the scientist stationed there expected to the Mutagen to bust from the crystalized cocoon in the life-sized testing tube. The container holding the Mutagen burst open, and the liquid spilled out all over the floor. The Mutagen in question reacted poorly to her new surroundings, and instantly lashed out, attacking anyone in her path. Some people died, and in the end, Catherine, and Cortana were the only ones strong enough to stun and disable the raging Mutagen. The items the Mutagen had on her, were confiscated immediately. Catherine could have cared less about the camera bag, and a stupid journal by some girl named Max Caulfield.

The weapon, she saw, was a threat. It was William's gun, the very gun, she had given to him to use if they needed to defend themselves at any point during their time together. Catherine handed the camera bag, and William's gun to a Spartan Mutagen, ordering him to take the items to storage until further notice. Catherine also issued a series tests to be run on the girl, all in hopes to break her will to any connection to the outside world. Cortana was given this duty, and was sadly, still trying to break the Mutagen's will.

"Cortana, _wie geht es ihr_?" A man in white armor asked, smiling at the pretty young woman with shiny purple hair in a digital jumpsuit.

 " _Sie lebt_..." Cortana muttered, looking up at their newest test subject. " _Wie, ich weiß es nicht_."

It was true. Cortana didn't know how the woman in the white experimental suit was even standing, much less breathing. She had tried  _everything_  to break the humanity of this Mutagen. Electrocution, massive beatings with thick weapons, keeping her in a dark room with no light, no sound, with no food or water. That method lasted for two solid months. Nothing. Not so much as a single complaint from the Mutagen. Her mother suggested Cortana try mental/psychological abuse. She did, and the only thing that resulted from that trial, and error was stronger resistance towards Catherine. Something Cortana could not accept. It was her job to program the Mutagen's brain to obey the voice of her mother.

Sensing Cortana's frustration, the lanky, dark skinned man turned his head to study the large glass window where the Mutagen was being confined. He took in her rough, battered appearance, and grinned hearing her groan out in pain. He loved seeing the exhaustion oozing off her, and her struggle to take just a simple breath for air. Dark, strained bags were engraved under slanted, weary eyes. Eyes that never seemed to ever open fully or carry the fierce rebel spirit they once had. The lovely white skin that bore the tribal markings that glowed softly, was now a sickly completion. Wild, unkempt platinum white waist length hair that needed a good trimming, shadowed the face of the Mutagen, hiding her lonely expressions. Last but not least, the body of a true warrior reflected nicely under the experimental suit. The stress from all the testing, injections of various drugs, and the harsh military training Cortana put the Mutagen through, proved to be the only successful result they had going for them.

"She's stubborn, like her father. What did you, and your mother expect? She's a Price, amped up with Hurricane. Breaking her isn't going to easy in any aspect. "

Cortana rolled her eyes." Arbiter, please. I don't need to be reminded of Chloe's situation or that she's stubborn." Cortana held up a hand. "Wait here. I'm going in."

Arbiter grinned wider than a normal human, exposing his sharp, predator teeth. Arbiter was a man at his core, but Catherine's Elite drug left him less of man, turning him somewhat into a creature of the night. He didn't mind, it made him feel important, valued, and wanted in her eyes. "Careful. I've heard you've been growing soft with her."

Cortana lowered her hand, and shot Arbiter a fierce glare. "Did John tell you that?"

Arbiter crossed his arm, watching her saunter into the medium sized room. "Maybe, but whether or not John told me isn't the point. Why would you show compassion on William's disgrace? It's because of her, your mother has been so difficult over the years. Had he just handed his baby and the drug over from the start, this wouldn't have become a problem. We might actually be ruling Germany."

Cortana shook her head as she stepped into the space, ignoring Arbiter's complaints. "Spartan H, how much longer are you going to insist doing things the hard way?"

Chloe wheezed softly, then grinned. "How much longer are you going to keep me here against my will?" Came the soft, surprising question. Instantly, her Mutagen blood spilled from the corners of her mouth and dripped down her chin.

"It doesn't have to be this way, Spartan H. Just join us, and I can make all of your suffering go away."

Chloe started to chuckle, got choked on the drainage of blood, and wound up coughing up the blood, making a small mess on the floor. Cortana stepped around it, and stood directly in front of Chloe. Chloe was in a sphere prison with a transparent electric field holding her down. Her arms and ankles were stretched out as far as they could go, bound in physical locks that looked like tubes. Cortana leaned in, and whispered a phrase in Chloe's ear. A phrase Chloe had heard for five months, every day at the end of every session.

"Who are you fighting for?" Cortana leaned back, and did something in a rare moment of kindness. She released Chloe from her restraints, allowing Chloe to stand. Chloe was weakened from her tests, but managed to center herself, and stare down at Cortana with determination. Arbiter left them alone, needing to see to other things, and hoped Cortana would be able to get somewhere.

"You know Spartan H, all test subjects loyal to my mother, are supposed to say, 'Catherine Halsey', which would serve as a sign as submission, brain washing, and obedience. You refuse to say her name. Why? You literally have nothing left." Cortana cocked her head, and just because she could, struck Chloe across the face. Chloe jerked her head, shaking off the slap.

"Who are you fighting for, Spartan H?"

Chloe wasn't just being pushed in tests for Catherine's curiosity of seeing just how powerful the Hurricane drug in her body really was. Catherine needed to get Chloe's mind off of her past, people she loved, and focus strictly on her. Cortana recalled the first month she asked Chloe who was she fighting for, she said consistently for 30 days, "My father." The second month, she said, "My mother." The third month, she said, "My friends." The four mouth, she said, "Myself."

But the fifth month? Cortana was sincerely anticipating Chloe would say her mother's name so she could put an end to the needless torture.

"Well Spartan H?" Cortana roughly demanded, crossing her arms. "Who are you fighting for?"

Chloe swallowed, and felt herself stagger forward, no longer physically able to hold herself up anymore. She was broken, she couldn't do it anymore, but forced herself to keep going anyway. Disgusted at her heroic bravado that refused to die, Cortana shoved Chloe back, causing the teen to almost fall over. She could see Chloe was in pain, clearly suffering, but her sternness on the issue remained.

Blinking the sweat out of her tired, burning eyes, Chloe gently grabbed Cortana's hand, and weakly tugged her closer. Her gaze did not harden in anger, nor did she cry from the pain from her rising frustration at the situation. The longer she stared at Cortana, Chloe's features gradually saddened. She bent forward slightly, balancing herself. Holding Cortana's stare, Chloe's eyes slanted half way in exhaustion. Taking a slow, subtle breath, she whispered softly down to Cortana, "You..."

Cortana's eyes widened, and her jaw dropped in shock. She stood there, frantic eyes darting all across Chloe's face. When Chloe's expression remained the same, and Cortana felt Chloe's grip around her wrist tighten, Cortana felt herself start to panic. Chloe was serious. Stunned, Cortana jerked her wrist out of Chloe's grasp, then watched in a stiff silence as Chloe's eyes fluttered shut, groan in pain, and her body slump to the floor without a sound. Cortana slowly lowered her gaze to the floor where the fallen Mutagen struggled to breathe in her unconsciousness. Chloe's reply for the fifth month, was unexpected. It shook Cortana so badly, that she could no longer find it in herself torture Chloe Price.


	11. Episode 11: Torment

**Time:**  3:15 AM

 **Location:** Wolfsburg, Hattorf - St. Nicolai Kirche (Lab Room, B3)

* * *

 

Chloe wasn't sure what was going on, where she was at, or what was happening to her. The last memory she had was of Cortana's eyes widening as she collapsed to the ground in front of her, gasping for air. Chloe's mind was very disoriented, and she was sure death had struck her several times since her imprisonment with the Germans. How she was still living, Chloe didn't know. She was too weak, and too tired to care about those details. Truly, there was only three people Chloe cared about, and none of them were within reach.

"How long do you intend to pardon Spartan H from her tests?"

' _Who... Who is that?'_ Chloe wearily mumbled in her frazzled mind. Chloe couldn't focus long enough to figure it out, so she gave up trying.

Cortana bit her lower lip briefly, and averted her eyes away from Catherine. "I just think she needs some more time to regain her full strength. That's all, mother."

Catherine frowned, and gave Cortana a stern look of disapproval. "Remember. On the clock, or off the clock it's Dr. Halsey."

Cortana masked her disappointment, and replaced it with anger. Her eyebrows knitted together, and she took a bold step forward, leaned in, and pointed quickly behind her at Chloe's holding cell. "Spartan H is no use to us  _dead_ , Dr. Halsey!"

Cortana arched her neck in shock seeing her mother toss her head back, and laugh out loud. She staggered slightly when Catherine roughly pushed her off to the side.

"Cortana, you know as much as I do what William's drug was capable of." Catherine stepped past her daughter, and walked up to the transparent glass where Chloe was chained down to the wall. A slow, sinister grin formed on Catherine's face as she observed the soon-to-be broken specimen. She reached out with her only hand, and placed her fingertips on the glass assertively. Catherine flexed her fingertips, visualizing Chloe's remaining will to fight her, and grinned again when she saw Chloe groan in her unconscious slumber.

"One way or another. I  _will_  have control of Hurricane. I will break you as many times as it takes, Spartan H. You will become my tool, my greatest legacy." Catherine's eyelids slanted half way in disgust, and halfway in thought. "Every promotion your father achieved was due to his training under my watch, in my lab. I funded his project... and deserve every bit of the spoils that have come from it."

Chloe heard voices, but didn't recognize any of them. She tried to open her eyes, she tried to move her burning, throbbing arms against her restraints. Sadly, the moment she tried to do this, powerful surges of electricity surged through her body, forcing her to cry out. Her anguish made up for her lack of training. So pleased was Catherine with Chloe's torment, she turned around, and motioned at Arbiter in the control room to increase the waves.

"If she won't wake up naturally, we can just help her do it."

Cortana's eyes widened, and before she realized what she was doing, she rushed up to Catherine, and latched anxious hands on her mother's arm. "No!"

Arbiter, and Catherine blinked, and stared at Cortana in astonishment.

"No?" Catherine scoffed. "No?!" She repeated, and without hesitation, struck Cortana across the face. "Have you gone, and found compassion for her like you did for Spartan 117?!"

Cortana whipped her head around while holding her burning cheek, and fought the urge to blink back unexpected tears. She had never cried before. Not even as a child. She had also never been smacked by her mother before, so the building of tears in her eyes confused her, and made her look even more guilty. She didn't like the concept of crying, but couldn't seem to stop herself from doing it.

"Please Dr. Halsey, let Spartan H be for a little longer. Let me work with her. I'll make her submit, I just need a little more time."

Catherine frowned, unconvinced that Cortana's intentions would fall through. "You had your chance to get her to submit, and all I've seen is one failed attempt after another."

Cortana quickly wiped the tears away, and squared her shoulders, determined to get Catherine to back off, even if it was just for a little while.

"I am aware, but Hurricane pulsates in her body. She isn't like the others. She's-"

Catherine snapped her finger, and at the sound, Arbiter increased the electric shocks, making it active without Chloe's movement. Chloe involuntarily arched back, and her screams were so loud, Cortana had to cover her ears. Chloe jerked in her sleep, and before everyone's eyes, crystal-like shards sprung up from the floor around her, and out of the wall. The more she screamed, the more rapid the crystal shards burst forth through the cell. Catherine made a pleased face, and nodded at Chloe in approval.

"That's better. Increase it again."

"No!" Cortana got in front of the glass, blocking off Catherine's view at what could be considered the start of Chloe's transformation. "Even if she's immortal, even if she's able to withstand your cruelty, she won't break!" Cortana glared hatefully at Catherine for the first time in her life, and it made her feel strangely powerful, even though it did not move Catherine in the slightest. "Not for you. Let. Me. Have. Her!" Cortana shouted the last word, and slammed a powerful fist behind her against the glass. The pressure was surprisingly hard, and the glass cracked slightly under Cortana's balled fist. The tiny shards of glass pierced her skin, cutting it, but Cortana scarcely noticed.

"This isn't going to make her want to serve us. You want test subjects to be loyal like me, right?"

Catherine's hand went up immediately, and she closed her fingers tightly, signially to Arbiter to stop. The moment he cut the power, Chloe's wails softened, and were replaced with harsh breathing, and gasps for air. Catherine slowly tilted her head, stepped in, closing all space between her, and Cortana. Cortana swallowed a nervous lump in her throat, and held eye contact with Catherine. Her heart raced, and pounded in her ears, her wounded fist remained tensed, and caved in on the glass, and a physical light sweat trailed down from her scalp. Her darker lavender markings began to glow on her purple skin in response to the anxiety she could feel building up deep within herself. Like crying for the first time, the sensation of fear, and not knowing what to expect caught Cortana by surprise. She was starting to actually fearful of her mother, but at the same time, she was so anxious to get her to stop, Cortana was willing to settle for whatever punishment Catherine may give her.

"Why is her comfort so important to you, that you would hurt yourself, and risk angering me like this, Cortana?" Catherine asked in a low, dangerous voice. "You have never defied me in all the time you've been here with us. You took my orders without question, and never interfered with my work. Why are you so desperate to spare her?"

"You want her loyalty." Cortana went back to her original case, and noted how Catherine immediately raised an eyebrow, and took a small breath through her nostrils. "Don't you?"

"Yes... I do." Catherine admitted, sparing Chloe a quick glance. "But if that loyalty won't come willingly, I am prepared to do whatever it takes to get it. You know this, so why-"

"Let me keep working with her. She responds to me in ways that you wouldn't get or see if it was just you."

Catherine breathed slowly, and ever so quietly continued to observe the determination on Cortana's face. "And how, pray tell, would you do this Cortana?"

Cortana opened her mouth, closed it, then opened it again when a crazy idea came to her on whim. "She wants her loved ones. Well, okay. Let's give that to her, but not in the way she thinks."

Catherine squinted. "You lost me Cortana. Speak plainly, not with riddles."

Cortana's fist slowly slid off the glass, and she idly shook her fingers free of the shards of glass. "Golden Hour."

Catherine shrugged. "What about her?"

"Let me go, and retrieve Golden Hour. Then, we'll make Golden Hour submit to us, a pawn if needed, and use her against Spartan H."

Catherine resisted the urge to laugh again. "That's a lot of unnecessary baggage. I'd just kill the Time Wielder anyway, as I find them to be difficult test subjects, and too messy to experiment on. If you're done stalling, I would like to get back to-" Catherine raised an eyebrow, and her mouth parted a little feeling Cortana's hand gently push against her arm stub in a tender, comforting manner.

"C-Cortana, w-what are you-" Catherine staggered over her words, glancing between Cortana, and the hand with a disturbed look on her face.

The action in itself was... weird, and out of character for them both. To someone like Catherine affection, let alone intimacy of  _any_  level was overlooked, and rejected. Regaining her professionalism, Catherine shook her head at the irony, and knew she should have slapped Cortana for invading her personal space like that, but for some reason, she allowed Cortana to touch her like that. To Catherine's further disgust, Cortana offered her a small, hopeful smile, and all at once Catherine had to pretend the softening of her own eyes didn't happen. As mad as she was, Catherine also couldn't admit to Cortana she was enjoying the calming sensation she felt from Cortana gently rubbing over the area of her stub. From where he was standing, Arbiter saw the difference surface in both women, and he wasn't sure if they liked it or observing it intellectually as scientists to see why they were allowing it to happen.

"Let me have this, please. I want to show you I can do something for once, and Spartan H is what I want,  _mother_."

Catherine hissed hearing the term, but strangely enough, was finally convinced. "Fine. You may do whatever you feel you need to do to break Spartan H." Catherine used her upper muscles in the stub, and rolled it out of Cortana's hand. She cleared her throat, and stepped back, eager to put some much needed distance between them. As awkward, and intriguing their affection was, Catherine didn't want to distract herself with it or lead Cortana on to think such behavior between them was okay. "If your plans do not work, I will, I repeat, I  _will_  take her from you, and do things  _my way._  Do you understand me, Cortana?"

Cortana looked down at the ground, no longer confident, or able to project the bravado she displayed moments ago. "Yes... I understand."

"If this backfires, let me assure you, you will be thrown in that cell to suffer every form of torment with Spartan H. Do you understand that as well? It will serve as your punishment for your disobedience, and annoying chivalry over a mere test subject. I let Spartan 117, and your romance with him go, because I wanted to collect data on how you acquired the ability to love a man under such harsh conditions." Catherine paused, and her eyes darted to the side briefly before settling back on Cortana. "It was innocent at first, basic love. Nothing serious. But then your advanced body become unstable  _because_ you were emotionally frustrated, and couldn't understand how to love a man who also did not display his emotions the way you wanted him to. This led to your Rampancy episodes, and you almost died, Cortana."

Cortana ran her hand down her arm, recalling the embarrassing season when all of that happened between her, and Spartan 117. "Yes, I know."

"Well if you know, then why aren't you being more careful with Spartan H? Unlike Spartan 117, she has firm grip on what love is, despite my attempts to break her of it. Although I can clearly see your attraction for Spartan H is platonic, I am not going to take any chances. The Hurricane drug may have surpassed my own success, but you are special. You are actually bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh." Catherine explained as she started to walk away from Cortana, and towards the control room where Arbiter was patiently standing by. "Do not disappoint me like this again. I raised you better than this, Cortana."

Cortana kept her head bowed, and didn't move from her position until she heard Arbiter, and her mother step outside of the lab and travel down the hallway together. When they reached the end of the hallway, Arbiter pressed the button on the elevator menu. He glanced at Catherine, and asked her a bold question.

"So. Did you enjoy that just now?"

Catherine frowned, confused by the inquiry. "Enjoy what just now Arbiter?"

The elevator dinged, and the doors softly rolled apart, allowing them access. They stepped inside, and Artiber waited for the doors to close, and the elevator to move before speaking again.

"Cortana's affection with you. At first I thought you two were doing it for data purposes, but it was prolonged, and it didn't appear like observational study anymore."

Catherine sighed, knowing where the conversation was headed. "Can we please..." Catherine placed her hand over her face to hide the blush she felt trying to reveal itself. "Not talk about that? It never happened."

Arbiter smirked. "So I suppose Cortana's romance with Spartan 117 didn't happen either?"

Catherine's hand dropped, and she stared at the closed doors as her eyebrows furrowed. "Now if there's anything I wish never happened, it was that."

Arbiter crossed his arms, and his mind drifted back to the year, time, and day he walked in on Cortana hugging the pod where Spartan 117 slumbered, and pressing her lips to the glass where his face was located.

"Look back on how it how happened, I find it interesting that she displayed emotional frustration more than sexual. Even during her Rampancy, a mental, and chemical imbalance disease the drugs had created within her body, Cortana still managed to keep her love for Spartan 117. One would think when you took him from her, she'd lose it even more, but that did not happen. Cortana never fought you, or challenged your authority, or questioned your decisions. Not as the head scientist, or as her mother. For her to do what she did for Spartan H is amazing as much as it is disturbing."

"How so?"

"Because you still had her respect with John." Arbiter used Spartan 117's real name on purpose. "You were still able to influence her thinking, and choices despite that she wanted to love him, and do whatever it took to be with him. Forcing John to undergo a suicide mission was the only way to separate them, and stop their romance, and trust me, I get why you did it."

Arbiter turned to Catherine, and feeling his penetrating stare, Catherine shifted on her foot, and continued to avoid making eye contact with him.

"Now she's doing it again for some reason, but her Rampancy isn't activating. Furthermore, I didn't think she would risk getting sick over Spartan H. But their relationship is causing disturbance, and for once, you aren't in control, neither do you seem to have Cortana's respect. I could understand her wanting to retaliate over John, for he was a man, and to me, fighting you over that, would make sense. But a woman?" Arbiter held up his hand, and motioned idly at the air. "She didn't do this for a man, but she is more than willingly to do it for a woman?" Arbiter shook his head. "That just amazes me. Whatever brought this on in Cortana must have happened between the time you introduced her to Spartan H, or while she was running tests on Spartan H."

Catherine frowned. "Are you implying Cortana has sexual romantic feelings for Spartan H, because I'm pretty sure it's platonic..." Catherine muttered, sub-consciously holding the end of her stub, the very area where Cortana massaged it earlier. "Was I wrong in that assessment?"

Arbiter shook his head again. "No. You were not wrong. It is platonic affection, but I find it ironic she's fighting you this hard, and you lost her respect over a non-sexual affair. Look at it from our perspective as you test subjects, and the kill or be killed world we all live in. To me if I am going to risk my life like that, I'm going to risk it for something more than mere friendship. Does this make sense? But that's just it, this isn't sexual romance, it's just friendship. Either your daughter has lowered her standards, and just doesn't care about class, or she finds Spartan H worth everything." Arbiter shrugged. "I'm not your daughter, I don't know her preferences, but I'm betting it's one of the two."

Catherine understood now, and now she marveled at the situation too. "Oh... I see. Well, that certainly is vexing for us then isn't?"

Arbiter sighed. "That what I've been trying to get at. It's not romantic, but whatever is going on between them, it needs to stop. It's already affecting our progress."

Curious to hear his view on that, Catherine glanced up at the taller man in armor, and politely nodded at him to continue.

"So you noticed that too?"

The elevator dinged, and the doors opened on the floor they needed to be on. They stepped out and continued walking down another grand hallway.

"Spartan H, similar to Spartan 117, has affected your child for better or for worse. However, unlike Spartan 117, Spartan H has won her attention in a special way, one that made her defy you. That in itself, is the problem. And that is why something must be done."

 

* * *

 

Finally, Cortana could relax. She ran her undamaged hand through her hair, standing still for a long moment as she reflected on her actions from earlier.

"How am I going to convince Maxine Caulfield to come here?" Cortana raised her hand, and slightly flexed her fingers. "However I'm going to do it, I need to think of a plan, and fast." She winced when she flexed a little too much. "Ow. I really hit that glass, huh?" The purple blue blood that stained the side of her hand, and up along her pinky finger was minor discomfort compared to what Chloe was suffering. Cortana sighed, and went into the control room, and sought out the first aid kit on the wall. She sanitized the cuts, applied some healing ointment, then carefully wrapped the hand with fresh bandages. She left the control room, exited the lab, and went to the kitchen on that floor to get a cold bottle of water, and some rations. She wasn't hungry, but Catherine had been starving Chloe ever since she found her a few days ago on the ground unconscious at Cortana's feet. Cortana normally wouldn't care what happened to Chloe in the past, but after their talk, and seeing Chloe's genuine, and sincere desire to fight for her freedom, she didn't know what to do with herself. Chloe got in her head, and the words she spoke to her that day were still messing with Cortana's emotions.

"Hmm. I wonder if she can stomach this?"

Cortana grabbed a porridge ration off the shelf, then went to the steel refrigerator, and took out a slice of thin, swiss cheese, and a few slices of dehydrated bacon strips. Content with her find, Cortana returned to the lab, and cautiously approached Chloe's cell. The crystal spikes were still in there, and emanating a soft glow. Chloe's hair was platinum white all the time whether she morphed into her Mutant form, or remained as she was. Cortana walked over to the terminal, imputed the code, and waited for the glass to slide down into the creases on the tiled floor. With the glass barrier gone, Cortana was able to walk up to Chloe, but she was mindful of the crystal spikes. They were edgy, and pricked her clothing as she wedged herself between them to get to Chloe.

"Spartan H? Spartan-" Cortana stopped, and shook her head, no longer in the mood to keep a forced professional front. "Chloe... can you hear me?"

Cortana waited for a response, but received none. Just more strained, labored breathing.

"Chloe?" Cortana got as close as she could, knelt down on both knees, and placed the items before Chloe. She picked up a strip of dehydrated bacon, and moved it back, and forth under Chloe's nostrils. "Come on. You've been fighting this hard for five months. Surely you can push through to eat some food?"

"Max? Is that you?"

Cortana's features saddened, and she shook her head, even though Chloe wasn't able to see her do it. "I'm sorry Chloe. I am not Max, but I'm going to try my best to bring Max here."

"Wait... Cortana?" It was difficult, but Chloe did manage to quiet her ragged breathing, and lift a heavy head. She swayed in her restraints, and had it not been for them holding her up, Chloe would have collapsed.

"Yes. I am Cortana."

Chloe coughed, harder than she intended, and would have kept going had Cortana not taken a emergency shot out of her pouch, and stabbed her in the neck. Chloe twitched, and grunted loudly, hating how the needle burned.

"Sorry. I know that hurt, but that drug she forced into your system a month or so ago is the reason for that nasty cough you have. And I am sorry for that."

Chloe felt blood mixed with her saliva spill from the corner of her mouth. "It hurts... Cortana."

Cortana's face fell, and her eyes swelled with fresh tears. "Idiot. It's your own fault."

Chloe chuckled bitterly. "Yeah? It's the price I pay for wanting to be the good guy in this madness."

Cortana used the back of her hand to wipe her tears away, then used the napkin she brought with her to clean Chloe's mouth. Chloe looked rough, like a trapped, beaten animal in a cold cage. Cortana winced, knowing part of Chloe's physical condition was due to her testing methods, and she became slightly uncomfortable. Chloe noticed, even her weakened condition, and to Cortana's further astonishment, Chloe tugged on the restraints with little effort, breaking their hold on her. Cortana sat back, eyes wide, jaw dropped. Chloe leaned on her hands heavily, swayed, then began to crawl towards her without even looking up at her.

"You could have broken them this whole time?"

Chloe's arms trembled, and she fell forward, collapsing right onto Cortana's lap. The food smelled decent, but Chloe couldn't bring herself to eat any of it. She just wanted to be petted, and given some attention that didn't involve needles, torture sessions, or military exercises.

"Hey... do you have water with you?"

After Cortana recovered from the initial shock seeing Chloe break her chains, and curl up like a cat in her lap, she blinked rapidly, coming to her senses.

"Yes. I do. Hold on."

Cortana had to roll Chloe onto her back, then carefully position Chloe's head back on her lap. Cortana held the the rim of the canteen to Chloe's chapped lips, and gasped feeling the alarming strength of Chloe's suckling. Chloe swallowed the water in large gulps, and finished the canteen in seconds. When Cortana moved it away, Chloe's hands came up, and gripped onto the sides of the canteen, and she pitifully continued to seek the cold liquid. Frowning, Cortana put Chloe's head down on the floor, and left the lab to refill the canteen. She also grabbed other drinks, ones loaded with nutrients, electrolytes, and nutrients Cortana was sure Chloe's body needed. Cortana re-entered the cell, and froze upon the change in scenery. The crystal spikes were gone. Where they went, she didn't know, but she was grateful for their removal. They were quite large, and dangerous, and hard to evade.

"Here."

Cortana helped feed Chloe another canteen of water, then offered her some juices. Chloe drank all of them. Cortana did try to get Chloe to eat the solid foods, but the only thing she could tolerate was the dehydrated bacon.

"Why are you helping me, Cortana?"

Chloe asked as she lowered herself back down to rest on Cortana's lap. Cortana wasn't Rachel, and she surely wasn't Max, but her touch was surprisingly familiar, and reassuring for Chloe.

"Why have you been holding back?"

Chloe smirked faintly hearing the insulted tone from the the other girl.

"Not telling."

Cortana rolled her eyes, and uncharacteristically began to stroke through Chloe's long messy mane of hair. "Fine. Don't tell me. But if my mother learns about this, she'll-"

"Screw your hag of mom, okay? She doesn't deserve you."

Cortana glanced down at Chloe. "She doesn't?"

"No. Now put her away, and please answer my question. Why are you, my enemy, helping me? I just showed you I can bust out of here anytime I want, so humor me, and let's pretend I'm still weak, and helpless."

Cortana smiled slightly, and a small chuckle escaped her lips. "You kind of are weak, and helpless, Chloe."

Chloe sighed. "Again, pretending here." Chloe lifted her arm, and winced feeling the exhausted in her muscles, and it instantly dropped back down to the floor. "Ahh. Still need time. Sad. I was hoping I'd recover my stamina by now."

Cortana pursed her lips, and chose to overlook Chloe's ability to defy the law of physics, and focused on answering her. "I am going to bring Max here. I figure if that's what you want, and that's what it will take to get you to stop fighting my mother, then I'll kidnap her, and-"

Cortana stopped talking, and watched Chloe roll off her lap, and stagger up to her feet. She gradually raised her head, and held eye contact with the weary Mutant, wondering if she had crossed a line.

"No! You're! Not!" Chloe punched each word with renewed strength, and with such authority, even Cortana felt intimidated.

Cortana opened her mouth to argue, but Chloe snapped a finger, and the crackle noise was so sharp, Cortana didn't try speaking again.

"Shh. I don't wanna hear it. I said no." Chloe pressed on hand on her chest, and gestured around at her surroundings with the other. "Listen, I can put up with this garbage. Max on the other hand is a soft, precious piece of glass that would shatter under these kinds of conditions."

Cortana tilted her head, raising an eyebrow. "You  _do_  realize she's a Class S Time Wielder, and more than capable of matching your level of power."

Chloe rolled tired, bloodshot eyes, and did herself a favor, and sat back down across from Cortana. Standing up, and speaking so boldly took more out of her than she was willingly to admit. "So what?" Chloe didn't try to fight the sleep begging to take her, and right in front of Cortana, curled up into a comfortable ball, and rested her chin between her folded arms. "Unless she undergoes special CIA training, or is overly exposed to danger, and grows a backbone, Max isn't lab material." Chloe yawned, and allowed herself to drift off. For a brief second, she nicely forgot that she had been forced into a life or death situation, and was confined in a lab. "The hippie has no real drive to rise to the top of her class, but all this aside, please..." Chloe's breathing deepened, and Cortana saw how much slower her shoulders would rise and fall. "Don't bring her into this. My heart won't be able to take it. Not her, not anyone else I love. I'm begging you..."

Cortana sighed, and watched Chloe fall into agitated slumber. Eventually, she grew board of sitting on the ground with nothing productive to do. She stood up, and in a rare moment of kindness, dragged Chloe over to her bed. She laid her down, minding Chloe's bruises, and possibly, broken rib cage. Taking Chloe to the bed must have been the right thing to do, because soft snoring filled the cell a few seconds later. Cortana couldn't help but smile down at Chloe hearing her snore so peacefully.

"You're exhausted, but still find the means to keep going. Just who are you Chloe Price, that even my mother's tactics can't break you?" Cortana whispered to herself, and grinned when she heard Chloe mumble a incoherent response back to her. "Easy. Save your strength for your tests in a few hours."

Cortana pulled the thin blanket, barely worth using, up to Chloe's shoulders, then left her to rest in the cell. She reprogrammed the terminal, applying the glass wall barrier to encase its inhabitant. Cortana took the empty rations, canteens, and juice bottles out of Chloe's cell, and returned them to the kitchen to be cleaned before her mother, or another lab worker discovered them inside Chloe's cell.

"I was looking forward to bringing Max here to use against you, Chloe." Cortana dropped the canteen in the soapy water, cupped her chin, and looked off into the distance. "If I can't bring Max in, then what or who can I use to break you?"

Cortana didn't have anything at the front of her mind. Not yet, but she was set on making Chloe submit, but she would do it her way, and without using torture methods like her mother. Cortana finished cleaning the dishes, then she retired to her own room. She needed to come up with an idea, and fast. She personally didn't want to harm Chloe, but she needed a diversion to keep her mother away from Chloe until she found a solution. Cortana entered her living space, walked into the den, and sat down in a chair near the oval shaped fireplace. She stared at the burning embers as she wagged her ankle, and reviewed all available possibilities to consider.

 

* * *

_**That same morning in Japan...** _

**Time:**  4:05 AM

 **Location:** Hiroshima, Takaosan - (Mt. Takao)

* * *

 

It was morning. Most residents or tourists of the area were still sleeping soundly in their beds, and wouldn't be up for the next several hours. Max wanted to be one of those people, but Rachel wasn't allowing her the leisure of sight seeing. They had come to Japan for one sole purpose.

To train.

Mark Jefferson, and Samuel Taylor were last seen in Japan. In the five months that had past, Mark had become quite the celebrity icon for his "realistic galleries". Rachel wanted to stop him the second she got a lead, but with the CIA bases still being investigated, Rachel simply couldn't afford to rally the agents, fly to Japan, and stop a criminal mastermind. Trust was still a issue, and although many CIA bases passed their verification tests, Rachel did not believe every single agent was innocent.

Rachel had no choice but to let Mark, and Samuel go. Now, things were taking a turn. The six month had come quickly, and so did Rachel's desire to stop Mark, and she intended to do that, right on his own turf in Japan. Max of course, wanted to go. She personally had a score to settle with the two men, and Rachel allowed her that pleasure, but not without proper training. She had been observing Max's progress for five months, and she wasn't the most impressive fighter, or weapon master, but Max had been honing her time power skills. She had learned balance, timing, control, and precision. Her reflexes in life or death situations, were something to marvel at as well. Rachel noted that every time Max felt attacked, or emotionally unstable, her natural reflexes to danger increased, allowing Max to freeze the threats she sensed, even if those threats were close or at great distance. At one point, Rachel had Max blind folded, and Max's ability to freeze obstacles, or agents who were her practice targets was not hindered like Rachel assumed it would be. It was the opposite.

"Fix your posture, and keep your eyes on my left side. I'm going to uppercut you, then do a low spin kick to knock you back." Rachel explained, circling Max gracefully with such confidence, it made Max tremble on the inside. Rachel saw her worry, and grinned, taking some pleasure from Max's worry. "Easy Agent Caulfield. I'm for you, not against you."

Max swallowed, and tried to shake off the anxiety she felt gripping around her heart. "R-Right."

Ten minutes into the sparring lesson, and already Max was sweating, and panting softly under her breath. She exhaled softly, regained some of her concentration. As serious as their training was, Max couldn't help but admire the way the morning light bathed Rachel's features in her Mutagen form in the early mist on the mountain. Without meaning to, Max's eyes softened for a moment, and they trailed over certain areas of Rachel's body. Her abbed stomach, something Max still didn't have on her own body, but was working towards getting. Rachel's flaming hair that was incapable of being still. It was constantly dancing to a invisible rhythm, demanding to be seen. Max pursed her lips, forgetting about what she was supposed to be doing, and became lost in crackling movement Rachel's flames made.

"You can ogle me  _after_  we finish our training, Agent Caulfield."

Max tensed, and resumed her battle stance, embarrassed that Rachel caught her staring shamelessly at her body. "Understood, Madam President. Forgive me. I was in awe of your Mutagen form, and it... won't happen again."

Max walked around Rachel, fists raised, eyes narrowed, and properly focused. Rachel wanted to test Max in a new way, so she rushed towards Max, knocked her down, and took both her wrists captive in a matter of seconds. Max's eyes widened, and for a moment, all she could do was stare up at her superior in astonishment, not in admiration.

"Why?" Came the simple question. "Didn't say you were going to flank me, then make me trip on purpose?"

Rachel didn't answer. She rolled them over quickly, and thrust her knee cap upward, right into the lower area of Max's torso. Max coughed, feeling the wind leave her body. Rachel resumed her attack, and easily used the side of her hand to strike Max on her collarbone, in a particular spot that would make her collapse against her will. She did not allow the power of her flames to burn Max, but she did create a heatwave that would make the other girl feel smothered. Rachel listened to Max's frustrated breathing as she professionally, and efficiently, pinned Max from behind on the ground. Now Max could really feel the effects the heatwave, and all at once, her clothes were steeped in sweat.

"It's called, "Element Of Surprise.", and I wanted to see how well you could handle it. Sad. I wanted more of fight from a Class S Time Wielder. I mean, you didn't even try to freeze me, rewind to counter my attack or anything." Rachel moved her mouth down near Max's ear, and whispered in a taunting tone, "Even with Chloe's absence, you're still weak in so many ways. Tell me Agent Caulfield, must I become Chloe so you'll become serious, and fight like a warrior?"

The questions came out of nowhere, and all of them rubbed Max wrong. Was Rachel provoking her on purpose? Did she mean what she said? Max wasn't sure, but it bothered her. Max laid still in the grass, dazed, and angry. Rachel distracted her on purpose, and knowing that, on top of the questions made Max's mood darken.

Rachel sensed a shift in Max, and happily welcomed it. "Aww. Are you shocked? Are you mad? Did I strike a nerve mentioning her name to you?"

"Stop." Was all Max said, but she spoke in a low, dangerous tone Rachel had never heard from her before.

"Why should I? You're not here, you're somewhere else. Our mission is here, the criminals are here, I'm here... but where are you, Agent Caulfield?"

Max's right shoulder blade, jerked, then she turned swiftly under Rachel, forcing Rachel's lock around her body to break. Rachel blinked glowing eyes, not expecting the counter. Max didn't stop there. She shot off the ground, and the two fought for dominance. Max loved Rachel, she knew Rachel loved her, but sometimes, both girls forgot how vicious they became when Chloe's name was brought up in a conversation.

"I couldn't protect her that day, and neither could you! Chloe told us to run, so we did, and now she's dead, and never coming back. You know this as much as anyone else who's aware of our situation so why are you acting like you're the only one who suffers from that decision?!" Max screamed with force, tapping into some of her time power so she could rush Rachel harder, and faster into the base of tree.

The tree shook from the impact, and some cherry blossom petals broke off from the limbs, and showered down over the two Mutants. "I don't need her to fight, I don't need her to survive Madam President! I've been fighting bad people all my life, I just couldn't physically fight them off!"

"And yet here you are, a CIA Agent, lethal, and able to protect others, plus yourself, and you're still lacking after five months of intense training?!" Rachel shook her head in disgust. "This isn't the first time we've had this argument, so when will you let her go, and release your full potential?!"

Max's features hardened at the same time Rachel's did. "Because Chloe told me to remain innocent, but jokes on me right? I killed people at the agency, I shed blood, and no matter how you explain the justification for it, I still did something contrary to my nature!"

Rachel shoved Max off her, and performed a harsh jump-kick, knocking Max over. Rachel landed in a position that was still threatening, despite being on the ground, on her finger tips, and the tips of her toes.

"Agent Caulfield, my job is train agents to kill. Out of all your exercises, and trials, death seems to be the hardest for you to accept, and execute. In case you've forgotten, your precious Chloe?" Rachel grinned viciously as she hovered up into a standing position. "Was a killer. A cold blooded killer, who never hesitated to take life if the situation called for it. If you are going to remain a CIA Agent, you  _must_  become angry, you  _must_  show me you are able to take life! Stop being such a coward, and  _face me!_ "

Max opened her mouth to tell Rachel how she felt, but was cut off by Rachel's screeching. The whirlwind of fury violently was personally directed at Max, and Max could tell. Max held up her folded arms, and bore angry teeth against the cutting wind that forced her backwards. Rachel didn't wail too long, just long enough to stir Max's comfort zone. Rachel silenced the wind, and stood under the tree, carefully watching her agent to see what she would do next. To Rachel's disappoint, Max... did nothing. She lowered her arms, and just gave her a death glare. Sighing, Rachel phased out of her Mutant form, and appeared in her business suit that was perfectly intact without a single singe mark.

"Agent Caulfield, you're dismissed for now."

As Rachel started to turn around, and head for their campground off in the distance, she froze feeling a slim arm stealthily curl around her neck, and a cold, piercing blade slide into her flesh. Shocked, Rachel blinked, and tried to figure out what just happened.

 _'Did Max... just... stab me?'_ Rachel thought, face paling at the reality of the truth.

To confirm this odd turn of events, Rachel, very slowly bowed her head, and craned her neck in the direction of her right side, and sure enough, there was Max's fist, gripping the handle of the CIA dagger. A dagger that was completely, 100% shoved into her body.

"You-" Rachel squinted one eye, while her eyebrow arched up cautiously. "Stabbed me?"

Max's glowing eyes narrowed. "Yeah." She whispered angrily. "I stabbed you. How's that for proof?" Max didn't hesitate to carefully withdraw the blade out of Rachel's body. She pulled it out fairly roughly causing Rachel to cry out in pain. Max didn't care about Rachel's comfort, or how the dagger had hurt her. Uncurling her arm from around Rachel's neck, Max thrust Rachel forward as she tossed the dagger down to the ground. Fast forwarding time was the right choice, and Max had no regrets. Rachel didn't sense or see Max's attack coming, and Max was happy to have caught her off guard.

Rachel whirled around, and quickly placed her hand on her new gash. Truthfully, Rachel wasn't upset Max had stabbed her. Recovering from a minor wound like that was easy. All she had to do was switch to her Mutant form, and she could heal herself easily. Rachel was fine with this. She wasn't feeling Max's attitude, or the low blow she had done to her. Rachel did not feel she had done anything wrong to Max, but her behavior from earlier was the only thing Rachel could think of, that would push the quiet girl to do something to unpredictable.

 

* * *

 **Song:** The Killers | Mr. Brightside

* * *

 

**_'_ _Cause I just can't look, it's killing me_ **

_**And taking control** _

 

Max felt no remorse. She blinked once, allowing her eyes to return to normal, and she stood there huffing like a savage, lips slightly open to expose her teeth, and fists clenched at her sides.

"You started this. You think you're so clever, don't you Madam President?"

_**Jealousy, turning saints into the sea** _

 

"What are you talking about, Agent Caulfield?" Rachel asked in annoyance. "I did what was most effective." She glanced down at her hand pressing against the wound, and winced seeing more blood spill between her fingers. "Maybe a little _too_  effective."

Rachel personally found the move unnecessary, and she didn't know how to react to it, so she stood there across from Max, and casually began to laugh at herself for underestimating Max's limits. She wasn't amused. She was angry, and it reflected in her laughter.

"Wow Agent Caulfield.  _That_ was really childish of you. I might just demote you for this."

_**Swimming through sick lullabies** _

_  
_

Max shrugged, and made sure to give Rachel another death glare, one that would send chills down her.

"Go ahead. At least I did what you wanted." Max pointed at the bloody dagger on the ground. "I showed you I can hurt something. Happy now?"

_**Choking on your alibis** _

_**But it's just the price I pay** _

 

Rachel found the move unnecessary, and she didn't know how to react, so she stood there, and casually began to laugh. She wasn't amused. She was angry, and it reflected in her laughter.

_**Destiny is calling me** _

 

Max squinted, and took a moment to collect her scattered thoughts. She raised her gaze, and found a pretty blue jay to look at on a branch in the tree Rachel was standing under.

_**Open up my eager eyes** _

_**'Cause I'm Mr. Brightside** _

  

"You can push me physically, you can ridicule my personality, and complain about how I'm not CIA material, all day, everyday, all night long for all I care."

_**I'm coming out of my cage** _

 

Max lowered her gaze away from the bluejay on the branch, and locked eyes with Rachel's. "But don't you  _dare_  use Chloe against me as a motivation tool ever again!"

_**And I've been doing just fine** _

_**Gotta gotta be down** _

 

Max stormed off in the opposite direction of the campground. Rachel watched her go until she felt another pang of nausea surge up her throat. She groaned, shook it off, and quickly turned into her fiery form to heal herself.

_**Because I want it all** _

_**It started out with a kiss** _

 

Max walked down a different path, not caring where it took her. She just needed to get away from Rachel for a while. As she walked with her head down, eyes glued to the road, she found herself longing for Chloe's touch. Hugs, cuddling, kisses, anything would do at this point.

 

_**How did it end up like this?** _

 

Max saw a flash of Chloe stepping in behind her, and pulling her into a warm embrace, and kissing her cheek lovingly in the bedroom at the lighthouse.

_**It was only a kiss** _

 

As soon as that memory finished, another one came to the forefront of Max's mind. It showed them laying on the bed, facing each other as they talked about their future before Chloe spontaneously jumped on her, and surprised Max with kiss on her forehead.

 

_**It was only a kiss** _

 

Max groaned, and held her forehead, muttering to herself, "Who am I really doing this for anyway? As much as I hate what Rachel said, she had a right to say it. I haven't been showing her my full potential because I hate this life, and I am scared of what I'll become."

Max stopped walking, turned to a dozens trees, and picked one to go sit under. She drew up her knees, and hugged her ankles, needing to calm her nerves.

"But at the rate I was going, and all the dangerous things that were happening, joining the CIA was necessary. That, and I didn't want to go to jail... the cops just wouldn't be accepting of Mutant, much less my entire saga with Chloe, Rachel, Joyce, and all the others."

Max reused her chin from between her knees, and tipped her head back to try and keep her tears from falling.

"Chloe..." Max's eyes fluttered shut as she felt warm tears escape, and run down her cheeks. "I..." Max's head dropped hard, and she quickly hid her face in the palms of her bruised hands. "I miss you!"

Max choked out the words, barely able to stop the anxiety attack she was about to have. Her sons attracted the attention of a particular animal in the wilderness. It heard Max moaning, and sobbing, and went out of its habitat to investigate. Max was so distressed , and overcome with her sorrow, she failed to see the deer step out of the thicket, and approach her hunched over body under the trees. The deer continued to draw near to Max, not the tiniest bit scared of her. When it was close enough, it sniffed at her hair, then on whim licked it.

Max felt the animal do this, and remained surprisingly calm as she raised her head to greet the animal. She sniffed softly, and cautiously reached out to pet it down its muzzle. The deer allowed Max to do this, and remained docile in her presence. Max glanced around the area, looking to see if the deer had friends nearby. When saw that the doe was alone, she offered the deer a faint smile. "Which Max are you? Or did I luck out, and happen to stumble across a genuine, normal deer this time?

The question posed was not meant for just anyone. Since Max had knowledge of previous timelines, and was alone, she didn't feel bad for letting some nostalgia get the better of her. The doe laid down beside Max, putting her lead on Max's lap, instantly depressed. Max laughed, finding the doe's transition somewhat assuming.

"Did you lose your Chloe too?"

The doe's ears flattened against her head, and she audibly sighed, almost identical to that of a human. She adjusted her head in Max's lap, twitched one ear, and gave Max a knowing look.

Max petted the doe between her ears, and nodded in understanding. "Ahh I see. She died in your timeline... didn't she?"

Another sigh came from the doe, and Max couldn't help but chuckle softly, even though she didn't feel like laughing.

"Yeah. That's what I thought. Chloe's good for that, isn't she?"

"Max who are you talking to?"

Max blinked, recognizing the voice. She twisted her upper body halfway around to look up at Rachel from her position on the ground. Max started to tell Rachel it was no one, but stopped short feeling a gust of wind blow over her. Naturally, Max glanced down to see if the doe was still with her, but the doe was gone, and no hoof prints were left behind to show that she had been in the area with Max.

Knowing without some sort of evidence to give Rachel, Max sighed, and decided to keep the experience with the doe to herself. "No one. I just was talking to myself."

As odd as it sounded to hear herself say that, the statement was true. If the doe truly was another Max from a different era, of another paradox lost between time, and space, then Max was  _literally_  talking to herself. Rachel nodded, but didn't say anything. She had healed the wound shut, but because Max had been so rough with the puncture, she was still a little sore. She grunted softly, shut her eyes, and groaned while placing one hand over the sealed gash. Now that she was calmer, Max felt guilty for hurting Rachel in her anger. She.quickly stood up, and took the other Mutant into her arms, but was careful not to squeeze Rachel too hard. Rachel stares off into the distance past Max's face, unable to think of anything meaningful to say.

After a prolonged hug between them, Max reeled her hands away, Max stepped back from Rachel because she didn't know want to talk about what happened. When she turned on her heel to walk away, Rachel reached out, yanked her back by the shoulder, and pulled Max back into her arms.

"Let go." Max growled.

Even though Rachel was sorry, Max was still upset by the hurtful things Rachel had said. Rachel sighed, and quietly stood there, refusing Max's request. Annoyed, Max eased back just enough to push Rachel's away, but a small push became a hard slap across Rachel's face.

Rachel dropped her arms momentarily to graze the sting, then shrugged lazily. "I suppose I deserved that. Gotta say, your slaps are as vicious as your stabs."

Max sighed, ready to apologize, but Rachel interrupted her by caving her arms back around Max's shoulders. At a loss, Max started to cry, and slammed her fists into Rachel's shoulders, and screamed, "Haven't you made me upset enough?! I don't want to talk to you! What does it take for you to back off?!"

After each hit she delivered to Rachel's frame, her will to see Rachel leave her alone faded. Max dropped her fists to Rachel's sides, and threw her head up to the sky as warm tears ran down her cheeks. "She's gone, Rachel... but I don't want her to be. I want her here, with us, and this stupid thing with Mark, Chief Taylor, and just--just  _everything_  revolving around the CIA, all played a part in killing her."

Rachel's features hardened unintentionally. "Chloe wanted to die... you seem to always forget that."

Max leveled her gaze with Rachel, and slapped Rachel's shoulder, jarring the other Mutant. "But as long as she had us, she was starting to change her mind, and actually was enjoying her life."

Rachel shut her eyes, and clenched her jaw, trying to keep the tears building in her own eyes back. How many times had they played this blame game? How many times had they been through these emotional episodes of deny, and acceptance? Rachel had lost count. So had Max.

"Chloe's gone, and I couldn't do anything! I'm incompetent! Useless! I'm the worst! What good is my power if I can't save people!?"

Max could hear the oncoming sobs building up in Rachel as she kept hugging her.

"I failed Chloe too, Max. You're not the only one."

"But!" Max started to say, sniffing softly. "But you said-"

"I know what I said, and I'm sorry!" Rachel shook her head. "Just hug me! I'm so sorry! I suck at being kind, and sensitive! But right now I want a hug, we'll finish training after we get this out of our system." Rachel bowed her head. "Besides... she preferred you in the end for a reason. She changed because of you. I wasn't able to save her from death, but you did. If anyone is the worst it's me, not you."

"Uh. Is everything okay here?"

They blinked when a flashlight laid on them. Nathan was there, watching them cautiously. "Hello Madam President." Nathan nodded at Max. "Agent Caulfield."

Rachel got a cross look on her face and hugged Max tighter to her chest. Max sniffled, and watched Nathan from over Rachel's shoulder. Nathan hesitantly stepped forward, removing the light from their eyes as he got closer.

"Why are you here?" Rachel muttered sharply, hugging Max even closer.

Nathan noticed Rachel was upset that he caught her crying, so he spoke professionally. "You didn't not return to the campground. I got worried, and decided to stray from the headquarters to find you." Nathan sighed. "You hired me as a bodyguard remember? Don't look at me like that, I'm just doing my job, Madam President." Nathan pointed at the women. "Are you all right?"

Max waved softly at her ally. "Hi Nathan."

Max sensed the tense atmosphere between the two so she wanted to lighten the mood. Max smiled, and waved back sweetly. Rachel reluctantly removed her hands from Max's back, and grumbled, "I'll return first then."

Rachel stormed past Nathan, shoving into him intentionally as she charged into the darkness of the woods. Max, and Nathan watched her warily until she was out of sight, then looked at each other.

"Did I offend her?" Nathan asked.

Max shook her head. "No. It was me. Actually, we kind of offended each other." She looked away. "It was over Chloe."

Nathan frowned. "I see. Well, I got breakfast made. Come to the campground with me, Max? Eating some food might help.

"That sounds like a great idea, actually. Lead the way, Prescott."

Nathan led Max back to the campground, and when they arrived, Max went over to sit down by the fire. Nathan hummed softly as he fixed a plate of food for Max, then he served it to her.

"Thank you Nathan."

Nathan smiled. "Hope it's good. I'm not the greatest cook, but it's something at least."

Nathan returned to the wooden table to prepare a plate for Rachel, and himself.

Max still was feeling a little depressed, so she stood up with her plate, turned to the two, and quietly announced, "I'm going to eat alone. Enjoy your meal, Madam President, Nathan." Max walked away in the direction of the riverbank, leaving the other two alone. Rachel sighed, knowing in some way Max's antisocial behavior was her fault.

"Just what did you say to her to make her so sad, and upset like that?"

Rachel rubbed her arm, refusing to answer him. She simply picked up her plate, and entered her cabin tent. Such custom tents are impossible to come by, unless that person was Nathan. Nathan brought his own custom tent as well, and it was set up across from Rachel and Max's cabin tent. Nathan watched Max leave, with some concern on his face, but it didn't last long. The moment Max was out of range, Nathan set his plate down, then he picked up a bottle of wine out of the cooler, and two wine glasses from the bag beside the cooler. He took the items with him, and stashed them in his own cabin tent.

"There. Now all I need is Rachel."

Nathan exited his space, strutted confidently towards Rachel's cabin tent. He checked his breath to see if it was fine before knocking on the door. As the door was unlocking, Nathan quickly slicked back his hair, and practiced his flirtatious smile. The door opened, and Rachel looked up to see a smirking Nathan with a charismatic look in his expression.

"Hey, beautiful." Nathan flashed her a charming grin.

Rachel blinked, and a plastic smile formed on her face immediately. "Crispy." She slammed the door in his face, and headed back to her small dinner table.

"Rachel we need to talk. About the mission, Mark, Samuel, and us."

Rachel froze. "Us?"

Nathan rolled his eyes. "Yes. Us. Could you please open the door, and let me come in? Actually." Nathan cupped his chin, and stroked the stubble he felt growing there, and shuddered, wishing he had remembered to bring a shaving kit. "I want you to come to my cabin if that's not too much to ask."

Rachel surprised him by opening the door, and stepping out with her plate of food, in one hand, and her free hand rubbing the area Max stabbed. He noticed her face twisted in pain, and his eyes became serious.

"What's wrong?"

Rachel shook her head. "Nothing. You wanted to talk?" She nodded at his tent cabin. "Let's talk."

As she stepped forward, Nathan smoothly fell in line beside her, and placed his hand on the side she had touched, and gave it a gentle massage. Rachel smiled a little, and gave him a quick look of approval. He returned the smile, and as they went into his cabin tent he took a small step further by lowering his head, and kissing the bruise. She tensed up, and gasped, making him worry he invaded her comfort zone. But when Rachel released a small sigh afterwards, Nathan pecked the closed gash again. Glad that he didn't offend her, Nathan sat Rachel down next to him on a few of the cushions on the floor, and held her hand while the other hand reached out for her neck.

"What happened here?" He whispered as he rubbed the cut.

Rachel pressed her head onto his shoulder, and smiled weakly. "A disagreement with Max."

Nathan scoffed, finding that hard to believe. "This looks like more than just a 'disagreement'."

"But it was." Rachel pouted, and reached to intertwine his fingers with hers. Nathan looked down at her, and gazed lovingly into her eyes, and Rachel saw it as an invitation to kiss him.

"Rachel." He sighed blissfully before her lips pressed against his. His body lost all strength to sit so he fell onto his back with Rachel falling after him. They giggled before kissing again. "Rachel we came here to talk."

"We can still talk." Rachel whispered sweetly, and lifted her lips to kiss his ear.

"But this is  _so_  distracting." His eyes fluttered shut as she kissed along his jawline. "I want to talk about Max, Mark and Samuel."

"Didn't you also want to talk about us?"

"Yes."

"Let's do us first." Rachel remarked coolly, and assertively, making Nathan nod with his love struck expression as he held her hips.

"Wait. No." Nathan sat up quickly, and held her on his lap. "Max first."

Rachel rolled her eyes, and sighed, then gradually trailed her eyes in the direction of the wine bottle. "Yes? What about Max?"

"Shouldn't we go after her?"

Rachel cocked an eyebrow. "You were  _not_  thinking about that when you coerced me into coming to you room were you?"

"Well, no. I wasn't. But..." Nathan bit his lower lip in worry. "What if Max gets hurt?"

"She knows what to do, she's knows our mission, and to stay out of sight. She's not a child, Nathan." Rachel sucked on Nathan's bottom lip, and he groaned, having to pry her lips off of his to resist the temptation to go further.

"I know, that as well as you do, Rachel. But she is still mourning."

Rachel's shoulders slumped before she rolled away from him, and got up to go pour herself some wine for herself.

"Young lady, that was for romantic purposes." Nathan scolded, getting up to his feet.

"But you're taking far too long to get to the romantic part, so i'm just helping myself until we get there." Rachel brushed her hair over her shoulder before sipping on her wine, frowning when Nathan took it from her hands. "Excuse me!"

"Your friend is burdened by the fact Chloe died. I understand that you hate crying, and I get that there's no real point in mourning over the dead. But can you be considerate for once without having to mess up the first time to get it right? How many times has Max depended on you for emotional support, and you fell short?!"

Rachel glared at him but as his words began to spill off his tongue her expression went from angry to remorseful.

She looked down at the floor, and grit her teeth in frustration before shouting, "I know that!" She got to her feet as well. "I know that but I can't hover over her 24/7! She already thinks I think she's incompetent, she already  _knows_  I don't trust her for a lot of things! I'm trying to give her a chance now! I'm trying to trust her so stop bickering and scolding me and let me just unwind for once since this entire trip!"

Nathan's face softened when he realized Rachel was on the verge of crying again, he turned his face away from her, and gave her back the wine, feeling it being harshly removed from his hold as she took it, and sat back down. Nathan watched her chug one glass after another, slowly sitting on his haunches as he continued to observe her. On her fifth glass she stopped, and just buried her face in her hands.

"Do you feel better?" Nathan asked quietly, fiddling with his fingers.

"No." Rachel replied dryly, sniffling to herself. "I want Chloe back."

Nathan shuffled close to her, and hesitantly reached out to hold her cheek. When Rachel felt the touch she held his hand, and buried a now tear-soaked cheek into his palm.

"I hate this." She croaked.

"I know." Nathan whispered, gradually pulling Rachel into an embrace. "I hate it too."

Max ate her food, but remained unsatisfied. She was too stressed to continue her training, so she decided to go on a long walk, further away from the secluded campground. Max took a moment to actually appreciate the beauty of Mt. Takao.

"It's a shame I'm here on a mission, and not for enjoyment purposes." Max glanced around, taking in the view. "If  _only_ I had my camera bag. This place is perfect for taking shots."

Max studied her environment, and happened to see a plaque by the edge of a cliff, and a she caught her breath seeing a stunning, blue butterfly perched on the writing. Shaking off the possibility of seeing Chloe's spirit animal, Max slowly approached the plaque, curious to read it. As she drew closer, Max could see that the blue butterfly's wings were damaged. Many scars, and holes were spread through each wing, and one wing was fractured, but the blue butterfly didn't seem to let that hinder it from launching up into the air. Max watched it fly away, then glanced down at the plaque. She scanned the information, and nodded to herself, wanting to remember the key phrases, and landmarks. The plaque read:

 

 

 _Mt. Takao is on the western edge of the Kanto plain, and is the start of the vast Chichibu mountainous region that straddles five prefectures. It is preserved as part of the Meiji no Mori Takao Quasi-National Park, which retains the original plant and animal life. Mt. Takao is visited mostly famous for its numerous hiking trails, and breathtaking scenery. There is a museum-cum-visitors center at the foot of the mountain, another visitors center at the summit, a Buddhist temple, a monkey park and wild plant garden. Great views of other mountains, including Mt. Fuji, can be seen at the summit. Mt. Takao is particularly beautiful in spring and fall, with notable cherry blossom and autumn leaf groves_.

 

 

"Okay. This is good to know." Just as Max stepped away from the plaque, she heard a sickly groan, somewhere off in the distance of the forest. "What or  _who_  was that?" Max looked around frantically, and did what anyone else would do if they hear a random noise in a forest.

She sought them out.

Max used her time power, and fast forwarded time to make her rush around, but even with her moving time forward, she could still hear the wailing quite clearly, and continued to follow the trail of sound. What Max was expecting to find, was a tired hiker that might have gotten hurt on the trial. At the most, a tourist who had lost their way, and had been wondering in the woods too long, and collapsed from exhaustion. Not a half dying girl around her age, with a collar around her neck. The girl with medium length platinum hair was resting against a tree, eyes closed, and lower body covered in blood. From where Max was standing, she didn't see a wound, or anything to indicate a opening for the blood stains. Just as Max was about to ask her for her name, the girl lurched forward, and coughed up blood. As if that wasn't worrisome enough, Max also saw blood explode from the girl's ears, and from the corner of her eyes.

"What the what?! Are you okay?!"

Max canceled her time power, and ran naturally over to the girl. She hit her knees, and gently took the girl by her shoulders, and did her best to prop the girl against her. "Who are you? Where did you come from, and why are you like this?" Max took a moment to check the area, suddenly scared for herself, and the one she was inspecting.

"S..." The girl coughed again, cutting herself off. "Samantha. Samantha Myers."

Max's eyes widened, and a flash of memories soared through her mind, each one showing her glimpse of a girl that attended Blackwell. A girl Max had noticed on campus, but had mysteriously disappeared before Thanksgiving break. Max had thought nothing of it, and didn't know Samantha personally to want to care about her missing.

"You're the girl who asked me if I had read  _Who's Afraid Of Virgina Wolfe_." Max's eyes clouded with tears, and she choked on a unexpected sob. "Who did this to you?!"

Samantha's breathing became labored, and the life in her eyes was beginning to fade. Max gasped seeing Samantha's head roll to the side, and her heard Samantha start gasping for air. "No, no, no. Samantha!" Max shook her, trying to get Samantha to stay awake. "I need you to tell me why you're here, and  _who_  did this to you."

Samantha managed to crack a weak grin, but her teeth was stained with blood, and the sight of it made Max flinch. "You're like me... aren't you Max? You're a... Time Wielder?"

Max blinked the tears out of her eyes, and shook her head to clear it. "How could you possibly know that I'm a Time Wielder, Samantha? Back then, I didn't tell anyone. Only me, and my parents knew the truth. So how-"

Samantha lifted up a trembling hand, and placed it on Max's cheek and stroked her skin with such gentleness, Max found herself becoming even more emotional.

 _'Is she... comforting me? Why would she do that? I... I don't understand!'_ Max screamed in her mind, unable to think of something to do.

"Max, I wish you had said something to me, when we were at Blackwell. I... I felt so alone, like I was the only Mutagen at that school."

Max felt the guilt swell in the middle of her chest, and she bowed her head in shame. She didn't have a good excuse outside of fear, and distrust of others. "I... Samantha I didn't know. Had I known you were a Mutagen, I might've said something. I was scared, and my parents didn't want me to tell anyone."

Samantha struggled to soften her breathing as she stared up at Max through blurry, red vision that was quickly fading to black. Knowing her time was short, Samantha moved her hand off Max's face, and clasped Max's neck with surprising strength. "It's okay, Max. I'm not mad. I just wish things could have been different. For both of us."

Samantha took a long breath, and Max's anxiety rose when she realized Samantha didn't breath out.

"Samantha, at least tell me who did this to you! So I can stop them. Is there more of our kind around here?!"

Samantha's mouth slowly formed the syllabus of a name, but never did she voice the name audibly.

"Samantha!" Max shook Samantha again, and this time, she cupped Samantha's face. Max glared angrily at the blood mixed with tears spilling from the corner of Samantha's unblinking eyes. She brushed it away, and turned her head just slightly. Max moved her ear to hover over Samantha's mouth, thinking if she inclined her ear, she might be able to hear the name Samantha was saying. It worked, and the name that was spoken, made Max's eyes slowly widen, and her mouth drop open.

"Mark. Jefferson. Did. This. To. Me. I couldn't perform for him anymore... so when my sickness escalated, and I couldn't properly freeze his models, he got tired of me, and told Samuel to get rid of me."

Max's face clouded in anger, and she hugged Samantha's limp body as hard as she could. "Where are they?"

Samantha used her blistered tongue to wet her dry lips, coughed weakly, and because she was unable to cough up the blood, she choked on it inwardly. It was a fierce struggle, but she managed to tell Max more information, even in the midst of feeling herself dying. "There is more of us, and victims of Mark's gallery, at central square in town. They're on the top floor of the building. But be careful Max. Mark has... a suit he wears that protects him from our power, and as long as we wear these collars, we can't use our powers."

Max had heard enough. "Shh. Samantha. Don't speak."

Samantha shut her eyes, and a faint smile formed on her face. "O-Okay. Hey Max?"

"Yeah?"

"I've never had to die before..." She began to choke, and the tears wouldn't stop streaming down her face. Samantha hugged herself as she trembled. "What is death like? I only ever planned to think thoroughly about it when I got older, but I'm not even going to be able to see next year. I'm so scared Max. Scared out of my mind. I-"

Max leaned in, and kissed Samantha goodbye on the forehead. Under normal circumstances, this exchange would not happen, but even Max could see that Samantha's time was about to end, but Max was selfish. She wasn't going to let Samantha die if she could help it.

"Samantha, don't be scared. I'm here. I'm right here, and I vow to you, I will save the models, and the other Mutagens."

Max kept her lips pressed to Samantha's forehead, and the second Max felt Samantha's body go limp in her arms, she winced deeply, and continued to hold onto Samantha, even after the last ounce of struggle expressed itself through Samantha's body. Opening her eyes just to where you could see them, Max listened to the sounds of nature, and the random airplane that flew over them. In the stillness of the forest, under the tree they were under, Max weighed her options carefully in her mind. Samantha's death was not easy for her to watch, or listen to. Max felt sick to her stomach, and wanted to break down, and just be helpless, but she pushed the urge to fall apart away. Max recalled how Rachel degraded her for not being strong enough to be a CIA agent, and from Rachel's perspective, felt that Max was too gentle to become a killer. She wanted to prove Rachel wrong, so she did.

"Samantha." Max whispered firmly against Samantha's forehead, then eased her face away as she lowered Samantha's lifeless body to the ground. "Don't worry. I'm going to save you. _"_

Max was so advanced in her gift, she no longer required a photo to jump through time with. All she had to do, was picture the scene in her mind, and she could rewind to that moment, and that's exactly what happened. She took herself back to the time she was sparring with Rachel. She came out of her time travel, saw Rachel circling her, and rushed at her without warning. Rachel blinked, and held up her hands to stop Max, but Max hit her full force, knocked her to the ground, and Rachel's head snapped back, hitting the grass. Dazed, Rachel lifted her head up, sat up on her elbows, and gave Max a warning look.

"Max, you better have a good explanation for this."

"Shut up, and listen to me!" Max demanded, yanking Rachel to her feet, and holding Rachel's wrists behind her back to subdue her. "Call Nathan, and tell him to get to the forest near the plaque site right now!"

"What is the  _matter_  with you?!" Rachel hissed over her shoulder, amazed that Max was using a lot of strength in the hold to keep her in place.

"Someone is about to die! They're suffering as we speak at the tourist site near the cliff, just southeast of our campground. We need to fly them to a hospital ASAP! But not in Japan, let's go to a hospital in Russia!" Max screamed with tears in her eyes, still keeping Rachel in the lock. Rachel stared at Max in disbelief at how passionate she was about this.

"Max." Rachel snatched her wrists away, and faced Max with a serious look on her face. "I don't know what's happening, but we can discuss details later." Rachel walked off, and took out her cell phone to call Nathan.

"Hey." Rachel leaned her shoulder into a tree, and tucked her foot lazily behind the other. "I need you to start the helicopter and go to these cords, okay?" Rachel told Nathan the location, then rolled her eyes hearing Nathan's usual rant of confusion. He normally did that when things were outside of his understanding.

_"What?! Why? We just got here last night. I got breakfast on, and I'm waiting for you two to hurry up so we can eat. I'm starving."_

"Nathan, Max is crying, she said someone needs help. Just do it."

_"But-"_

"Now!"

Nathan gulped at the bite he heard in Rachel's tone.  _"Right away Madam President."_

After the call, Max picked Rachel up in her arms with ease. All her work outs, lifting weights had paid off. In the beginning, Max was just a thin girl, barely able to lift anything. Now she could lift heavier objects, and Rachel's weight was easy compared to the training weights. Rachel blinked, not expecting to be swept off her feet so suddenly.

"Max?" Rachel blushed, unsure how she should react to Max's assertive nature.

"Hold onto me." Came the gruff order.

Rachel pursed her lips, slid her arms around Max's neck, and rested her chin on top of Max's shoulder, and watched the scenery around her speed up while Max ran with her through the forest. By the time Nathan appeared in the sky with the helicopter, soaring over the heads of hundreds of pine trees, the girls had found Samantha Myers. Max froze her entire body, stopping time all together for Samantha. Nathan leaned over, and peered out the window, catching sight of Rachel waving frantically up at him. He landed in a open space, and watched Rachel help Max carry Samantha over.

"One of you want to explain what's going on here?"

Max shook her head, not in the mood to talk about anything. Preserving one Time Wielder was personal to Max, and even more so that it that Time Wielder was Samantha. "Find the CIA base in Russia. CEO Zelda is over that base right?"

Nathan nodded at Max's question. "Yes. That's right. Why?" Nathan started up the helicopter, and took off with ease.

"Because I don't trust local hospitals, not for Mutagens. She needs to be seen, and cared for by our people." Max climbed into the helicopter, and leaned against the pilot seat. "Can you call CEO Zelda, or do you want me to do it?"

"I can do it."

While Nathan made a quick call to the CIA base in Russia, Rachel carefully situated, Samantha on the cot in the back. She may have been froze, but she was still alive, and her body weight was not solid. It was flexible, just like hers. Just as Rachel was about to strap Samantha down on the cot, she grunted spotting the collar around Samantha's neck. "What is this? Why is it on her?"

Cocking her head, Rachel tried to take it off. Immediately, she was electrocuted, and large waves of prickling pain shot up her spine. The light from the waves made chock flares, and sparked the room in blinding light. Rachel's  scream filled the entire area, and Max bolted to the back to pry Rachel's hand off the collar, but struggled to do so. The electric waves were like a force of cement, and now, Max was being paralyzed along with Rachel, and her screams combined with Rachel's deafened Nathan's ears.

"Whoa, whoa! What the crap is that?!"

Nathan unbuckled himself, and forgot to put the helicopter on auto-pilot. He did something on whim, something that he thought would solve everyone's problem. He took out his gun, aimed carefully at Rachel's shoulder, and  _shot_  Rachel, right in the pit of her shoulder. This created a chain reaction. Rachel's body jerked back as the meat, and bone within her shoulder scattered from her person. Max collapsed to the floor, out of breath, and struggling to shake the daze off. Rachel crumbled to the floor, and fell in her own blood. Her shaky hand reached for the large hole were her joint should be, and her wheezes, and surprised gasping turned into an excruciating scream once the adrenaline dismissed into nothing, but fear for her life.

"You shot the president!" Max exclaimed, crawling over to the distressed Mutagen. She saw Rachel's arm, and cringed, fighting the urge to vomit at the smell of so much blood.

"I panicked! If I hadn't, she would have died from... from what was happening!"

Max's head whipped around, and she stared at the empty pilot seat. "Nathan... did you put the helicopter on auto-pilot?"

Nathan grabbed at his hair. "Ahh! No! I forgot!"

He made a beeline for the front of the helicopter, snagging hold of the steering gears, and pulling them to his chest in a frantic attempt to lift back up the vehicle.

Max grabbed Rachel's arm, and did her best to reposition the arm back on the open hole, but she had to hold Rachel down to keep her still long enough to do it. "Boss, please don't fire me for this. It's the only way."

Rachel was still a mess, and she was starting to feel anxious. So distracted was he, she failed to realize that Max had placed her arm back on her body, and froze her completely, silencing her pain, and her animation of life.

"This mission just got a whole lot, messier." Max sighed, bowing her head in defeat.

"Cheer up Agent Caulfield. I mean, what else could go wrong?"

Max groaned, and just held the frozen Rachel in her arms, cursing herself for causing everyone such distress. She just wanted to help Samantha. How did it end up like this?

"Nathan, you shot Rachel's arm off. And it's my fault..."

Nathan squinted, tilting his head. "I'm pretty sure that's my bad Agent Caulfield. Not yours."

Max carefully stood up with Rachel, and laid her beside Samantha on the cot. "But if I had just told her what was happening-"

Nathan cut Max off. "Did you know the collar was rigged?"

"I..." Max swallowed, and looked away feeling herself blush. "No. No I didn't."

"Then how on earth is this your fault? Again, I shot her arm off. I didn't mean to, but you weren't exactly in the position to help her either. You were kinda nicely being roasted there."

Max ran her hands up, and down her face in annoyance. "Yeah. Don't remind me."

Nathan got the helicopter back on course, and was steering steadily in the direction of Russia. He didn't know what to do anymore. The entire mission was ruined, and Max still refused to talk about the shift in events. When she finally came up front, and sat down beside him in the guest seat, the two shared a mutual look of concern.

"So." He started, looking forward at the windshield.

"So." Max repeated, following his action.

"Mark is still loose, we found someone I'm assuming, is a victim of Mark's assault. Am I right so far?"

Max nodded slightly. "Yeah."

"Our CEO is..." Nathan trailed off, and looked over the seat, at the back area where Rachel laid dormant in her frozen state. "Disabled, and probably not able to aid you on the mission. Unless of course, you rewind again and-"

"No."

Nathan looked over at the moody Time Wielder. "What?"

"No more rewinding. I have to use this power wisely. Rewinding is what got Rachel's arm blown off. I accept this, and we'll recover from this. I hope." Max muttered, running a hand through her hair. "Once we get to Russia, we'll get them medical treatment, but then you have to take me back to Japan."

Nathan sighed, not in agreement with Max's plan. "Is that wise, Agent Caulfield."

Max stared out her window, and naturally tilted her head against it. "No. But I have to do this. I  _will_ stop Mark, and Samuel. We know where they are, we have an advantage."

"Yes, but for how long? For you all you know, maybe Mark knew we were in the area, and dropped off Samantha as a means to lure you, Rachel, or me out."

Max shook her head against the glass, not wanting to think about such a theory. "No. I don't believe that."

"You should. It's very possible. Why else was there a random, Time Wielder in the middle of a tourist location, up in the mountain region of Japan? Why not throw the body in a sewer? Or a dumpster?"

"I don't have those answers, but Mark is right there. We have him. You are going to fly back here Nathan. Whether it's shortly after we drop them off at the Russian base, or a few days after, either way, I'm going back to Japan, and ending this."

Nathan nodded, but frowned to show is resistance at Max's plan. "Okay. Have it your way."

 

* * *

  

For the rest of the helicopter ride to Russian, no one spoke. Twelve hours later, Nathan landed the helicopter at the CIA Russian base in Vladivostok. Samantha, and Rachel were received by their medical staff, and Max had to go with them to the ER so she could unfreeze both girls. Max didn't stay around to see if Samantha would live, or if Rachel's arm could be salvaged. She was tired, and needed to rest. She left Nathan in the ER, confident about Samantha's m, and Rachel's survival.  Link, a SAD agent, greeted her in the hallway, and bowed respectfully before her. Max blinked sleepy eyes, and assessed the Russian soldier staring at her. Link had muddy blonde, flared back cut hair with sideburns that ran down past his shoulders, and fringes that were  _wildly_ cut just over his right eye. He seemed to be a quiet man, but very observant. Unlike the other soldiers that were equipped with guns, he was the only one that wielded a sword instead of a gun. That on his unique satchel, there was a slingshot strapped to it.

"Wow. Russian CIA agents are intense."

Link sighed, crossing his arms over his bullet belt strapped chest. "SAD."

Max blinked. "Pardon?" She took a step back, strangely offended by his monotone, and cold exterior.

"You're a CIA Agent, that serves under Rachel Amber, and you don't know what a SAD Agent is?"

Max pursed her lips, and pretend that she wasn't ignorant of the term. "I know what it means."

Link arched an eyebrow, and sadly, that's all he did.

"It means 'Super Advanced Diversity'."

Link's other eyebrow climbed up by the other, and his expression notably changed from boredom, to disturbed.

"What? No." He reached down in his satchel, pulled out a AI orb, and activated it using voice command. "Navi, please tell Agent Caulfield what SAD means."

Max watched the AI orb light up, and it turned a soft sky blue color. Max was impressed with that feature alone, but then, the object levitated by itself, and moved on it's own. Max had read about such inventions in the world, but Navi was the first AI she had seen do such a thing.

 _"SAD is Special Activities Division used in the military world. Outside of the military SAD is also an_ _acronym for_ _Seasonal Affective Disorder_ _, a type of depression most often exacerbated by the fall, and winter seasons, and their darker days."_

Max rubbed her arm, and sighed, and Link watched her, waiting for the obvious. Navi remained out floating happily near his head, being careful not to get too close, but close enough Link could reach up, and catch the AI if he wanted to.

"Okay, okay. I didn't know. Sorry."

"Well now that you do, I want to ask you a question." Link glanced left, then right, making sure they were alone. "When you go after Mark Jefferson... take me with you."

Max arched her neck back in shock. She just walked out of a ER, with much on her mind, thinking the worst was over, then Link went, and suggested something awkward.

"We just met. I don't even know you, I don't know your CEO personally either. I'm just a field agent."

Link looked Max over from head, to toe, and crossed his arms again. "Yeah. A field agent that I've heard has caused quite a ruckus in the USA with the New York branch."

Max tensed, and took a defensive step back. "If this is about how my CEO had to test your CEO for loyalty, you should understand that was due to-"

Link held up his hand, and waved it, not interested in past issues between their agencies. "Betrayal is common among us, and trust me, my CEO has dealt with traitors among our own ranks, and had to do similar measures like your CEO did. It's nothing personal. It's just our job."

"And that's fine, and all, but it doesn't quite help me understand why you want to come with me to Japan." Max squinted, suspicious of the SAD agent standing in front of her. "Do you have unfinished business there?"

Link's arms dropped, and his expression hardened so much, Max blinked, and found herself jarred by his behavior. "Yeah. Mark Jefferson took a friend of mine. She went overseas to investigate the disappearance of Japanese girls." Link lowered his gaze, and for a split second, Max saw him falter. As quickly has Link's aggressive nature softened, it went back to being stiff when their eyes locked again. "Agent Lostwoods. Saria is her first name, and she is a Time Wielder, like you. She's a Class D, but she's still capable of performing, and competent."

Max didn't see that one coming. Clearing her throat softly, she nodded her head in understanding at the taller man, able to relate with him. "So this is personal."

Link gestured at Max with narrowed, focused eyes. "Isn't your reason personal? Did Mark Jefferson not have a hand in destroying Agent Price?"

Max held her forehead, and sighed hard. She really didn't want to think about that, but if she went off on Link, it wouldn't look right, and possibly, make Zelda angry. Rachel taught her better, so she held her composure.

"Listen, I appreciate this, and all, but-" Max puffed out her chest, and squared her shoulders. "I'm the boss here, all right?"

Link nodded immediately, surprised that she hadn't his obedience so already. Max blinked before continuing.

"And you have to follow  _my_  rules." She leered. "This is  _my_  mission. Mark is  _my_  target."

"Sure." Link responded quickly. "Whatever you say Agent Caulfield."

"A-All right then." Max nodded, and turned away from him. "We're going after I eat,  shower, and get a change of clothes."

"Yes. I will be ready." Link replied, following in line with her. Navi kept hovering around Link, never leaving his side.

"You must listen to what I say, and never break formation once we inflatirate that gallery."

"Uh-huh."

"Okay?!" Max huffed, glancing up sharply at him.

"Understood."

She sighed, no longer in the mood to talk. Max retired to her guest room, and kindly asked Link to wait outside of the room until she finished her shower, and got something to eat. He nodded, and remained still outside her door, and while he waited, he started to feel anxious. Was Saria alive? Was she hurt? Was she... dead? Link didn't know, but with the help of Max, Link was going to defeat a threat the CIA needed silenced, and part of him hoped Max would let him have the honor of finishing Mark once she done with him.

 

 

* * *

  **Time:** 2:00 PM

 **Location:** Wolfsburg, Hattorf - St. Nicolai Kirche (Lab Room, B1)

* * *

     

 

Chloe laid hurled over the end of the machine that Cortana recently strapped her to, looking down at the floor with a wincing, dead expression. Chloe could perform longer than the other test subjects, so Cortana had to push Chloe for several hours, but now, Chloe was done. Cortana didn't want her mother to come by, and see Chloe not working, so she tried to motivate her.

"Come on, you can do it." Cortana cheered quietly. "Run some more!"

"Bite me." Chloe growled, then a tired sigh left her throat. "I'm starting to get restless. But I need a little more time, then I'm busting out of here."

Cortana smirked, walked over to stand beside the machine Chloe was spawn out against, and poked her in the cheek lightly. Chloe jerked, and without looking at her, hissed through clenched teeth, "I can't believe, your own mother made you do these God forsaken exercises. Remind me, why do I have to do them again?"

Cortana smiled. "We realized that you can run faster than an average human for extreme long periods of time so we wanted to see your extent, and your limits in desperate measures."

Chloe writhed. "I'm not some guinea pig. None of the Mutagens here are."

Cortana looked sad by her words. "But it's the expectations my mother has for you."

Chloe turned to look at her with a disgusted glare. "You know where your mother can stick her expectations?"

Cortana's eyebrows furrowed as she was genuinely curious, and eager to learn new information. "No, where?"

Chloe's nose flared, and she was utterly distraught by the fact Cortana wasn't understanding, she looked her up, and down before frowning. She rolled her eyes, and turned away. "Forget it. You're innocent, like Max. Can't taint you kid."

Cortana rubbed at her neck, bothered by Chloe's retort. "But I'm older than you technically. I'm in my early twenties."

"You're  _twenty-three_ , a mere four years older than me, Cortana. How are you still this naive?"

Cortana opened her mouth, but quickly shut it hearing the lab door hiss open. She whirled around, and stepped in front of Chloe, attempting to shield her from her mother's inspecting eyes.

"How is Spartan H doing?"

"She's still-"

Cortana didn't get a chance to finish. To her shock, Chloe leaned off the machine, put her hand on Cortana's shoulder, and hurled her backwards gently.

"I'm right here. I can answer Dr. Halsey myself, Cortana."

Catherine had a blank expression, and normally would do something morbid to a test subject for speaking out of turn. She dismissed it, and leaned in at the same time with Chloe, putting her almost nose-to-nose with the girl.

"Your training ends now, Spartan H. I need you on the field."

"Why the sudden change of heart, Catherine? Did your moment with Cortana have something to do with it? Guess you got a heart after all." Chloe sneered, giving the scientist a ruthless grin.

Catherine's eyes dilated in rage. Without hesitation, she reached up, and grabbed Chloe by the collar of her labsuit. " _Never_  speak of that incident between me, and Cortana! Do you understand?!" Catherine violently thrust Chloe down to the floor, then she kicked her harshly in the ribcage for showing such disrespect. "Know your place, you foul spawn of my enemy!"

Chloe took the leg kicking, and stared off at a wall past Catherine, forcing herself to stay calm. It wasn't time for her to break the German base in half. That would happen, but today wasn't that day. Chloe grunted a few times, but didn't cry out or scream from the pain she was experiencing, much to Catherine's disappointment. Cortana rushed to her mother's side, and touched the stub of arm.

"Dr. Halsey, please stop hurting Chloe. She didn't mean to!"

Catherine felt the unfamiliar sensation shoot through her whole body from her arm again, the very sensation she told herself she didn't want to feel. She glanced at her stub to see Cortana was holding onto it once more.

" _Don't touch me!_ " She backhanded Cortana hard across the face. "Stop touching me! Why are you suddenly wanting to do that?!" Catherine started. "Do you actually  _think_  I would want you to touch me?!" Catherine yelled. "Are you that dense that you don't realize that I can't even stand your pitiful face?!"

Cortana yelped when she was struck across the face, falling to the floor, and cupping her cheek as her mother went off on a tangent. More, and more Cortana saw her vision getting blurrier. Tears, again? She frantically tried to rub them away, but instead water kept pouring from her eyes. Cortana... felt the sudden need to cry out in distress. Was it because of the fact she was humiliated in front of Chloe, or was it the fact she was frustrated the tears weren't leaving? She continued a futile attempt to scrub the tears away with balled fists, yelling at the top of her lungs. Her heart began to hurt as much as her cheek did, and she didn't know why. She tried to crawl to her mother, and beg her again, trying to stand up for Chloe again, but the blow emotionally made her unsure if she could even get up, and look her mother in the face. She just hunched over her knees, and tried to hide her face, in hopes her tears could wash away this scene of humiliation like it did her confidence.

"Do what you want to me..." Chloe stood up, not even phased by her beating. She walked up to Cortana, and narrowed angry, glowing eyes at her oppressor. "But you make this baby cry again, and I will surely kill you Catherine."

"I control you Spartan H! Have you forgotten that?!" Catherine was going to say more, but in a blink of an eye, she found herself pinned to the wall, and a blanket of glowing, crystal formed over her lower body, keeping her glued to the wall.

"Correction." Chloe brought her hands together, and made a loud, clapping sound. "I control all of you. You know Catherine, I was going to wait a little longer before I destroyed this place. I was going to be nice, and let you, Arbiter and all the other nut jobs in this facility think they had me by my balls, but you know what?" Chloe bent down, and helped Cortana stand up. "I'm not in the mood to play possum anymore. This woman wants to love you, she is loyal to you, but you treat her like this. Why? Were you deprived of affection as a child growing up? I mean really."

Cortana looked up at Chloe, confused as to why her mother was pinned. When she opened her mouth to speak she, choked on more sobs. She quickly held down her head in shame, unable to form words to say. Chloe noticed her embarrassment, and pulled her in for a loving side hug. Cortana's eyes widened when she felt her body being hugged so tightly by her enemy.

"Chloe!" Cortana cried out her name in such a profound voice, even Chloe started to get a little emotional.

Cortana buried her face in Chloe's bosom, and whimpered loud enough for Chloe to hear, "Y-You don't have to help me. I don't need pity." Cortana croaked. "If you are going to kill us, then just do it."

Chloe shook her head, and gave Cortana a fond kiss on her head. "Nah. Too much work. But I am going to do something about all these unnecessary experiments in this facility. Also..." Chloe let go of Cortana, walked over to Catherine. "Before I wreck this place, tell me Catherine. Where did you put my father's gun, and my friend's camera bag?"

Catherine's answer to those questions, was spitting in Chloe's face.

Chloe stood there, and patiently wiped the saliva off her face. "Wow. Someone's not taking loss well. Sucks to suck."

Catherine snarled, but held her breath when crystals shoot out the ground, and congoline trails of stalagmites spread out, and thundered across the floor, down the hall into different rooms. Catherine screamed when the building seemed to shake violently, and the lights flickered, and buzzed out of control, the emergency red light flared, and signal screeched when damage was being done to the building.

"What are you  _doing_!?"

"Breaking some rooms. Just not the ones with my Mutagen pals in them. Sorry, not sorry if your people get killed while I remodel the place."

Chloe turned around, and began to walk away from Catherine. "I'll let you hang in out in there for your own safety. As much as I want to kill you, I won't. I'll allow the German government to deal with the lot of you. Cortana, however, will be coming with me. Chow."

Catherine was so mad, she didn't stop to think what she was about say would have setbacks. "If I had known you were going to cause me this much trouble in the future, I would have ordered the assassin to kill  _you_  off instead of your father!"

Chloe's eyes widened, and her face slowly turned to stare at the crazy scientist trapped in a crystallized husk. She blinked, and her pupils shrunk in their sockets as Catherine's words echoed in her head. "What?" She whispered. "What did you just say?

Catherine rolled her eyes. "You still haven't figured it out? The assassin who killed your father-"

"Yeah I know, he suggested his orders came from the German CIA base! I  _know_  that!" Chloe stormed back up to Catherine, eyes and tribal markings glowing so brightly, Catherine had to squint her eyes to see. "But to learn after all these years that is was  _you_  behind that attack changes everything!"

Chloe raised her arm, and a large stalagmite of crystal grew over her arm like an extremely sharp gauntlet. She swung it down before Catherine, the jagged and dangerously sharp edge pointing right into the woman's neck. Catherine swallowed the lump in her throat, feeling her skin it split apart when Chloe's crystal blade past it. Chloe took aim, and reeled her right arm back, aiming for a straight lunge to Catherine's throat to decapitate her. Releasing a loud, furious battle cry, Chloe charged forth, but froze in her action when instead of Catherine, it was Cortana who got pierced. Cortana cried out when the blade cut through her stomach, looking down to see it wasn't a deep gash but her skin was broken enough to bleed. Cortana hiccuped softly, looking up slowly into Chloe's eyes. Chloe stood there, breathing hard through her nostrils, and clenched teeth, but when she was finally able to regain some sense, she arched an eyebrow at the girl standing between her, and her desire.

"Cortana, you need to move... I am not in the mood to play nice right now."

"Chloe stop! You're not a murderer!"

Chloe glowered hatefully at both scientists. "It is because of that woman behind you I became one. You've seen my file... I've taken lives before."

"Yes, but all those killings in your files were out of self defense or because it was needed. This is a choice!" Cortana put her hands on the blade, and tried to move it out of her stomach. "Max knows you're not like my mother. Could you really hold Max in your arms, knowing you went out of your way, and murdered someone!?"

Chloe withdrew the blade, and squared her shoulders, and the expression made was far from friendly. It wasn't warm, it wasn't tired. It was murderous, and very dangerous.

"So. It's come down to that? A test of my integrity?" Chloe formed a grin, and it genuinely freaked Cortana out seeing the the crazed look in her glowing eyes. "All right Cortana." Chloe raised her normal hand, and Cortana watched it closely, almost afraid of what Chloe was going to do with. "You seem to misunderstand me. I only became a CIA agent to find my father's true killer. Now that I have, and you're preventing me from slaying her, I have nothing left. So don't worry. I'll make this quick, then everyone's suffering will be over. Mine, yours, and every Mutagen that was forced underground to this wretched place your mother calls a home."

Chloe snapped her finger. At the sound of the snap, Cortana heard massive explosions erupting around them, and above them. She saw Chloe's glowing eyes through fading eyes, heard Catherine screaming, and another noises through the facility, but all of them were muffled. Fire broke out in the room, and even though fire engulfed Chloe in its flames, she remained unharmed. Cortana wasn't sure what was happening to her, she wanted to speak, run, do something to escape the madness Chloe was creating, but in the end, all Cortana could do, was sink to her knees, and fall on her side, and feel more blood ooze from her stomach. Chloe turned around in the flames, and walked further into them, and spiky crystals burst up from the floor from the area she stepped on.

"C-Chloe..." Cortana wheezed, gasping for air as she felt the heat being too unbearable for her eyes to bear. All she could see was that Chloe was leaving her behind. Moving further, and further away. The only person that tried to understand her, and listened to her concerns. The only person she ever received a hug from.

"Chloe don't leave me!" She found herself calling out. "Chloe!" A fresh new batch of tears fell out her eyes. "Chloe!"

She sobbed like a child. A loud thunder echoed throughout the room, and overtook her cries for Chloe's help. A beam suddenly snapped from the ceiling and came crashing down towards Cortana. Her eyes snapped over to the metal beam that was falling right over her. Nothing, but fear filled her heart in the last scene scenes of her mind. She turned her head to the door that Chloe exited from, and one more time, just before the beam crashed in, she shouted after her again. "Chloe..." Cortana weeped, curling her fingers inward, and hiding her face in the floor. Taking a shaky breath, Cortana used the last of her moments to say what her heart had wanted say to Chloe all along. "I love you..."

The beam crashed into her, and the floor beneath her shattered. 


End file.
